Lazarus Cell: The Series
by pepoluan
Summary: The adventures of Shepard and friends as Cerberus Operatives. In Episodic format. All the squad, and even TIM, got their screen time. Just Up: Season 1 Episode 02 "Ending and Beginning" — someone got shot! ... Do you think there will be Episode 03? Do you? Do you? Stay tuned :-)
1. S1E01: Rebirth

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the long loong loooong delay getting this story published. Many things happened in Real Life ™, including the birth of a 2.9kg bundle of joy: my son :-)

Before getting to the story proper, here are some information for you:

■ **For an Intro to this story: mcaf. ee/e1fab** (remove the space after the dot)

■ **Disclaimer for the whole story:** Mass Effect, the Mass Effect Universe, and the characters within, all belong to BioWare.

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The cockpit was bathed in eerie orange emergency lights.

"EDI, what's going on?" Shepard barked a question to the ship's AI.

The familiar blue orb appeared beside Joker's console, its glow dimmer than usual.

"We have experienced complete power failure, Commander. The dampener system caused a massive power feedback that has taken out our primary and secondary power distributors. We are currently on emergency power supply," EDI explained.

"Tali, how bad is it?" Shepard asked over the ship-wide intercom.

"Very bad, Shepard," the quarian replied. "The distributors blew, and we'll need at least six hours to hack together a replacement for the less-damaged secondary distributor."

"We do not have six hours, Commander," EDI added. "Due to damages sustained on the Collector Base, our emergency power supply can only sustain approximately three hours of continuous use, four hours at best."

Shepard, Joker, and the rest of the crew on the bridge looked at each other. Nobody said a word.

They knew there was no escaping the situation this time.

·

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**Lazarus Cell **—

—** The Series**

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**Season 1 Episode 01**

══ **Rebirth **══

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_Life is rather a state of embryo, a preparation for life;_

_a man is not completely born till he has passed through death._

_~ Benjamin Franklin_

·

·

·

The big frigate floated in full stealth mode near the Valhalla Threshold relay - not too near to risk a collision, but close enough to monitor ships coming and going through that relay.

"Are we positive that they will pass through this relay within the next four hours? Because I'd certainly hate it if the heat sink overheats and cook us alive," the captain of the frigate asked his surveillance officer on the bridge.

"Affirmative, sir. Our scouts reported seeing them approaching the mass relay with sublight speed, ETA approximately two hours," the surveillance officer remarked.

The captain grunted. "Very well, I'll do a final inspection on the crew's readiness. If the reports are correct, we must act swiftly when they arrived this side. Failure is not an option. Page me when the mass relay indicates an incoming vessel of their size."

"Aye aye, sir," a chorus of affirmatives replied to his order.

The captain nodded, smartly turned around, and left the bridge.

_Thank God the quarians have left; would be hard to watch the mass relay and intercept the Normandy otherwise. _[1]

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

"Commander, we're ten minutes from the relay," Joker called out from his pilot's seat.

Shepard nodded in acknowledgment and turned on the ship-wide intercom. "This is the CO speaking. We will be attempting a transit through the Sahrabarik Mass Relay in ten minutes. All crew, report to your emergency stations."

"Well, then, I guess I'll go to my station at the shuttle bay," said Miranda. Earlier, the squad had agreed that those with biotic abilities should gather there, where the structural damage was the greatest; no thanks to the Oculus attack and the crashlanding on the Collector Base.

As a precaution, Deck 1 had already been sealed, just in case 'the roof' - as the crew had dubbed the top pressure bulkhead - would crack and breach.

Thankfully, the engine room was mostly unscathed. What was worrisome was the damaged cabling. Tali and Garrus, assisted by Kasumi, Ken, Gabby, and all crewmembers able to crawl in claustrophobically small spaces, had replaced, shunted, or otherwise jury-rigged the cables. The hasty repairs were fairly successful, but they had to operate without safety limits in place.

Shepard tried hard not to sigh. If he thought carefully about it, this jump should actually be less horrific than the jump they made from the galactic core, what with the full complement of crew, and the fact that they had actually been able to do some repairs.

Still, he felt uneasy.

He hid his feeling well, however, donning that emotionless business-as-usual façade, and exuding an aura of a relaxed, in-control commanding officer, in the hope that his crew would also remain calm and confident.

During the next ten minutes, one by one the standby teams reported.

"Engineering ready. All power readings within limits," the exotically-accented voice of Tali spoke through the intercom.

"Life support *cough* within operational parameters." Shepard winced as he heard Thane reporting.

"Crew's quarters. All loose objects secured," Gardner reported. "Observation decks and sleeping quarters are also vacated and sealed."

"Cargo area secured, vacated, and sealed," Zaeed reported next.

"Airlocks secured and sealed up tight." That was Jacob reporting.

"Shuttle bay crew ready. All materials secured but can be fetched quickly," Miranda reported.

"Alright. All teams in position and ready," Shepard affirmed. "Shut down the elevator."

"Elevator shut down," Kasumi reported.

Shepard nodded, then turned to the pilot. "Joker, take us in."

"Aye aye, commander. Transmitting activation sequence... now!"

There was a familiar lurch as the mass effect field of the relay grabbed the Normandy and slung the frigate across the galaxy.

Except... the lurch this time was uncharacteristically rough. Shepard almost lost his footing on the bridge.

He had just regained his balance when all hell broke loose.

"Primary dampener failure. Switching to secondary dampeners," EDI sudddenly reported.

Immediately after the AI's announcement, the Normandy started to shake and vibrate.

Screams and shouts were heard over the intercom. "This is the shuttle bay! We got injuries!" Garrus' voice was frantically heard. "Not enough inertial dampening! Struts buckling and failing. Need medic! I repeat, need medic! Miranda is down!"

The last sentence stabbed Shepard in the heart. Before he could ask any questions, more urgent reports flooded the bridge.

"Shepard!" Tali's voice urgently called over the intercom. "The dampener's started a power feedback over the main and secondary lines!"

"Outer hull breach on Deck 3!" Gardner practically yelled. "We lost starboard side pressure!"

"Outboard thruster 4 failing!" Matthews yelled. "We lost control of thruster 4! It's gonna break!"

"Emergency shutdown of thruster 4!" Joker yelled back. "EDI, cut the fuel line to thruster 4!"

"Fuel line cut. Thruster 4 stabilizing. Starboard wing integrity holding."

Shepard terribly wanted to run all the way down the stairs to the Shuttle Bay to check up on Miranda, but he knew as the commanding officer he must stay at the bridge.

The consoles to the left and right of him started glaring red, and the warning klaxons blared loudly, adding confusion to the already chaotic mix.

"How long til we reach the exit, Joker!"

"I don't know, Commander! I don't know!" the pilot replied.

"We will reach mass relay transit exit in approximately five minutes," EDI explained.

"Five minutes? We don't have five minutes! The ship's breaking up!" someone exclaimed.

"There is nothing we can do! Once mass relay transit is started, we must see it through to the end!"

The next five minutes would probably be the longest five minutes in the lives of most crew on-board.

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

"Captain, the mass relay is aligning itself with the Sahrabarik mass relay."

"Picking up energy surges within the envelope of the Normandy."

The captain nodded. "Alright, let's prepare the welcoming party. Teams Alpha and Bravo board the shuttles!" he commanded through the intercom.

A chorus of "aye aye, sir" replied back.

_Any moment now... and finally we'll meet face-to-face, Shepard._

"Captain!" the recon officer yelled urgently. "I am picking anomalous readings from the mass relay!"

The captain ran to the officer's terminal and leaned over her. "Explain, Roberts!"

"It seems that the payload is maneuvering within the mass relay carrier. Mass increase detected."

_That can't be good._ The captain thought. _There's no reason for maneuvering when in transit. Unless..._

"This is the captain! Team Charlie, board the shuttle immediately! And bring all supplies you can grab!" he yelled to the intercom.

"Aye aye, sir! Medical and technical scrambling!"

The recon officer looked at the captain, worry clearly etched on her face. "Mass keeps increasing, and maneuvering is getting more erratic. That can only mean one thing, sir..."

A chill crept up the captain's spine. "Clarify!"

"The Normandy's dampeners are failing and they're breaking up in transit."

_No._

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

"Exiting transit in ten... nine... eight...," EDI's voice was heard, counting down.

Garrus braced with his good hand as he looked around the shuttle bay. It was... a mess. His other hand, bandage-wrapped, had been bleeding profusely minutes earlier. He had managed to cut his hand while helping the crew lift and hammer a support strut in place.

But he didn't really care about his injury. He was standing near the casualties, beside the elevator, keeping a respectful distance from the frantically-working medics.

_Tomlinson... Parker... Johnson... Savalas... _He silently repeated the names of the downed crew.

_Miranda._

His mind went back to the accident that had downed the XO.

When they had started the transit, the ship had shuddered mightily, making the crew in the shuttle bay lose their footings. He was standing back up when the port strut behind him had started to buckle.

"Garrus, behind you!" Miranda had shouted.

He had glanced back, and seen the strut broke, swinging toward him. He had just stood there, frozen.

She had acted immediately. With her biotics, she had pushed him away from the falling girder. Then another girder behind her snapped and hit her head hard.

_Blood... blood everywhere..._

He had shrieked into the intercom, knowing that as second-in-command in the shuttle bay, lives depended on him taking decisive action.

He had quickly barked orders to move the casualties to the empty space near the elevator. Then he ordered the crew to jack up all other buckling struts with the materials that Miranda had prepared.

Samara, Jack, and Grunt had immediately lent their hands, doing the heavy lifting while the crew rushed to weld, bolt, hammer, or tie the materials in place.

He himself had been doing some lifting when he cut his hand. He had not realized he was hurt until one of the crew had mentioned it.

"Sir? Your hand's bleeding, sir?"

Garrus looked at his hand, surprised.

"Just a small cut, Pearce. I'm okay."

"No, sir. You're the Person-in-Charge now. Please, just let us do this. We can't risk losing another executive."

Garrus had to admit, Pearce had a point.

He walked away from the strut, somewhat depressed.

Because of him, a dear friend, who was also the mate of yet another dear friend, had been injured.

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

The Engineering room was a mess. Granted, thanks to its location deep in the bowels of the Normandy, there had been no structural damage.

But it was still a mess, what with all the emergency jumper and shunt cables lying around. And spent parts and cannibalized parts. And conduit covers and pieces of duct tape.

Tali, however, was not paying attention to the mess. Her eyes were transfixed on her consoles. Her biggest concern was the wildly fluctuating power indicators, especially when the ship began the mass relay transit.

_A mass relay works by enveloping its mass effect field around the ship's mass effect field, effectively reducing the ship's collective mass from its point of view, then pushing the 'lightened' ship down a wormhole it creates with its opposite partner._

_Within the enveloping field, the ship's own mass effect field provides a counteracting effect, making all things maintain their relative mass to each other. Without which, the crew will be floating around the ship helplessly and uncontrollably. But this also means the ship and its crew would feel inertia/momentum effects upon entering, transiting, and exiting the wormhole. That is why ships - especially big ones like The Normandy - need inertial dampeners. Which again employ yet another mass effect field to be projected._

_The problem with the Normandy is that the primary dampener, at that critical moment during entry, decided to give up its ghost, leaving behind a parting gift of an energy surge when its mass effect field collapsed. And the energy surge overloaded the already-damaged secondary dampeners, causing oscillating mass effect fields to ripple through the ship, stressing its superstructures._

That was the technical explanation that instantly crossed Tali's mind. But she couldn't draw any satisfaction out of deducing what had happened, as she also realized the grievous effects to the ship. And she immediately lost all train of coherent thought when she heard Garrus' shout over the intercom.

Her gladness that Garrus was okay was immediately tempered when she heard his last sentence.

"Miranda is down!"

She gasped...

... then Ken grabbed her shoulder. "Boss! The secondary dampeners are failing! Too much current! What to do?"

Tali quickly racked her brain, and came up with a solution. _Crazy, but it might just work_.

"EDI, is it possible to route the oscillating surge to the stealth heat sink?"

The blue orb appeared and answered, "It should be possible, but the emergency shunt lines to the heat sink are all damaged."

"Can we jury-rig a cable?"

"Yes, but there's a danger of electrocution if not timed right."

"Alright! Ken, keep monitoring the oscillations! Gabby, grab that end of the cable! EDI, tell Gabby where to plug her end! I'll plug the other end at the power regulator!"

Gabby ran as quickly as she could, and plugged the two-centimeter thick cable on a heat sink feed terminal.

Tali climbed the ladder into the crawl space above the engineering room, and approached the power regulator, cable end in hand.

"Ken! You got the frequency of the oscillation?" she yelled to Ken.

"Yes, boss! Four-second waves, give or take a few!" the engineer replied.

"Tell me when it's at nadir!"

"Okay boss! Steady... steady... now!"

With all her might, Tali jammed the cable onto the emergency shunting port of the power regulator.

A bright arc of electricity sparked at the connection. Something got caught in the arc and ignited. Tali screamed as the shockwave threw her back against a truss, nearly knocking her unconscious.

Frantic steps could be heard, and within seconds Gabby's head appeared. "Tali! Tali! God, Tali, are you alright?" she asked in a near panic, before regaining sense enough to help the quarian get back to her feet.

"I... I'm alright... A bit dizzy, but nothing serious," Tali tried to calm Gabby down. "My suit's computer said no damage. Some dents, perhaps, but it's holding up. What about the shunt? Did we succeed?"

Ken hollered from downstairs. "Aye, boss! EDI has started shunting excess power to the heatsink. But the secondary dampeners are already toast. We can only hope they'll stay good until we exit the transit."

"All this ... For nothing?" Tali asked with dismay in her voice as she descended the ladder.

"Oh, no, boss! If you hadn't shunted the power, the dampeners would fail right here and now. As it is, we can still eke some life out of it."

Tali nodded to Ken as Gabby joined her. There was nothing else they could do but wait.

And hope that the secondary dampeners lasted until the exit.

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

Thane was watching the terminal of the life support system, looking for signs of leaks or breaches. Nothing bad, everything was green and well within working paramateres.

Then all of a sudden, the ship shuddered and vibrated, and the terminal began showing rows of red and yellow.

■ _Starboard Observation: TOTAL LOSS OF PRESSURE_

■_ Starboard Sleeping Quarters: TOTAL LOSS OF PRESSURE_

■ _Mess Hall: PRESSURE LEAK DETECTED_

There was a commotion outside. He stepped out of his room.

The crews were busy, running around, shouting, coordinating activities. Severeal were welding shut the gaps to the Starboard Observation. He looked around, saw Mess Sergeant Gardner, and approached the human.

"Sergeant Gardner," he asked calmly. "What is happening?"

"Mr. Krios! We lost the windows to the starboard side, and the pressure hull above and below the windows are leaking as well - they must have cracked! Can you lend us a hand?"

Thane suppressed a cough, and answered, "I will do my best. What do you need?"

Gardner gestured to a trio of crewmembers standing beside him. "Rolston and Patel will go into the sub-deck crawlspace, and I need you to accompany Hawthorne into the ceiling crawlspace. Seek out any cracks, and weld them shut."

Thane nodded. "Let's go."

The human and the drell immediately ascended a ladder into the ceiling crawlspace, and made their way to the starboard side of the pressure hull.

Shining a polarized light torch against the hull, they identified several cracks. Immediately, a pair of welding torches flared to life, and the duo went down to work.

Although Thane was busy doing a commendable weld-job, his mind wandered to a place millions of miles away, and settled on the face of a young drell, the memories of whom jabbed fear into his heart.

_Kolyat._

As he finished up welding his crack and started work on the next one, he prayed a silent prayer.

_Arashu, please grant me my wish. No more disappointment for Kolyat. I was not there beside him as he grew up, I was too eaten by my desire for revenge. But let us be together for the few moments available before Kalahira beckons me to the ocean._

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

"Imminent secondary dampener failure. Exit will be rough. Exiting mass relay transit in forty seconds," EDI reported.

"All hands! Prepare for rough exit! Mind loose objects! Keep the injured crewmen safe!" Shepard shouted over the intercom.

An idea suddenly leaping into his mind, Joker began to prime the remaining three thrusters. "EDI! Time the maximum thrust of engines 1, 2, and 3 as we exit! Make sure that the thrust counteracts the inertia!"

"Affirmative, Jeff."

There were commotions in all decks as the crew scrambled to secure themselves.

"Exiting transit in ten... nine... eight...," EDI's voice was heard, counting down.

"All hands! Brace! Brace!" Shepard shouted into the intercom as he himself grabbed the nearest chair.

"Five... four... three..."

Joker tapped his console and started pushing the sliders for the thrusters to halfway.

"One... Exiting."

The Normandy exited the transit and immediately tumbled. At the same time, the thrusters roared to full military power. The counteracting acceleration managed to mitigate the deceleration of mass relay transit somewhat. But the deceleration was still felt by everyone, sending all unseated crew, Shepard included, toppling forward. Screams were heard all over the deck and through the intercom.

Joker maintained his cool and gradually decelerated, when, all of a sudden, the lights flickered out, leaving the cockpit eerily bathed in orange emergency lights.

"EDI, what's going on?" Shepard barked a question to the ship's AI.

The familiar blue orb appeared beside Joker's console, its glow dimmer than usual.

"We have experienced complete power failure, Commander. The failing secondary dampener system caused a massive power feedback that took out our primary and secondary power distributors. We are currently on emergency power supply," EDI explained.

"Tali, how bad is it?" Shepard asked over the ship-wide intercom.

"Very bad, Shepard," the quarian replied. "The distributors blew, and we'll need at least six hours to hack together a repair for the less-damaged secondary distributor."

"We do not have six hours, Commander," EDI added. "Due to damages sustained on the Collector Base, our emergency power supply can only sustain 3 hours of continuous use, 4 hours at best."

Shepard, Joker, and the rest of the crew on the bridge looked at each other. Nobody said a word.

They knew there was no escaping the situation this time.

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

The shuttles waited a respectable distance from the Mass Relay. They had been instructed to hold their position by the mothership frigate, due to the possibility that the Normandy will not be able to 'brake' upon exiting the Mass Relay transit. As it happened, this was a wise instruction; when the Normandy exited the transit, the shuttles' crew saw with horror how it tumbled and accelerated, before finally decelerating... and then its lights went out.

"Captain, we have visual on the Normandy," the Alpha team leader reported.

"Affirmative. We have the Normandy on sensors. Approach slowly, all weapons down. Maintain peaceful stature. I will hail the Normandy."

"Aye aye sir," the team leader acknowledged. "Shuttles Bravo and Charlie, maintain in-line formation. Approach the Normandy slowly." [2]

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

The Normandy's bridge was as scene of utter confusion. On one hand, the crew were glad - to the point of disbelieving - that they were still alive. On the other hand... the darkened interior did not give them much hope of surviving afterwards. Shushed talks could be heard in the disconcerting silence, when the AI's voice suddenly blared.

"Commander, we are being hailed," EDI informed Shepard.

Shepard and Joker looked at each other, puzzled.

"Patch them in," Shepard finally gave the order to EDI.

A disembodied voice spoke over the speakers, video transmission was no longer available with the reduced power profile they were in. "Captain Shepard, this is Captain MacLeod of the Cerberus Frigate Descartes. We are here to offer our assistance."

There were whoops as the crew expressed their relief. Shepard smiled, but felt a pang to his heart.

"Descartes, you have no idea how glad we are to hear you! We've lost power completely, and we have injuries on board."

"Acknowledged, Captain. Shuttles Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie are approaching with assistance. Where would you like them to dock?"

"We'd love to welcome them in our shuttle bay, but that's where the majority of the damage and the casualties are. We can't risk opening the bay doors."

Another voice joined the conversation. "Captain Shepard, this is Lieutenant Haileselassie, Team Leader of away teams Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie. We can enter through the airlocks, using extravehicular transfer. Just open the doors for us."

"Affirmative, Lieutenant. I'll have the crew open the doors for you guys."

"Very well. I'll order the Descartes as close as possible to the Normandy. MacLeod out."

There was a bit of pause before Joker finally piped up, "Captain, huh? Boy, you're rising rapidly in your career, _Captain_ Shepard."

Shepard rolled his eyes, and shot back, "Joker, if I wasn't so worried about Miranda right now, I'd have your cap."

Joker replied, "Oh! Uh, sorry, captain. I, um... forgot..."

Shepard just waved as he walked to the stairs. "Alright. Forgiven. Jacob," Shepard said via the intercom, "assistance from the Descartes will be coming in the airlocks. Please help them."

"Understood, Shepard," Jacob acknowledged. "Opening outside doors and hatches now."

Shepard descended the stairs as quickly as possible, skipping two, sometimes three steps at a time. Within minutes he ran onto Garrus on Deck 5.

"Shepard," Garrus greeted.

"Garrus! How's Miranda?" Shepard asked, no more able to hide the anxiety in his voice.

Garrus gestured to his left, at Dr. Chakwas who was kneeling beside a woman on a stretcher.

As Shepard approached the doctor, she rose and greeted him. "Commander."

"Doctor," Shepard returned her greeting. "How is Miranda?"

The doctor glanced down at the unconscious woman on the stretcher. Miranda's head was wrapped in a bandage and her neck supported by a brace, but Shepard could see that her breathing was easy, if a bit shallow.

"She'll live Shepard. Superficial injury, slight fracture on the back of the skull, and possible concussion. Luckily, her neck did not snap, her spinal nerve is intact. We immobilized her head just in case. But she'll survive. She'll need at least a week of bed-rest, though."

Shepard sighed in relief. "What about the others? Any other casualties?"

Chakwas dropped her gaze. "Savalas didn't make it. Parker... his spinal nerve was severed. Tomlinson and Johnson in same condition as Miranda."

Shepard closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Alright doctor, there will be assistance from the frigate Descartes. They are boarding right now. Please coordinate with them. What about injuries on the other decks?"

"No one else was seriusly injured. Some sprains and bruises during the rough deceleration, nothing too serious."

Shepard nodded grimly when a commotion erupted in the stairwell.

"Medic coming in! Medic coming in! Please give way!"

Shepard turned to see five medics rushing down the stairs, all dressed in Cerberus extravehicular armor, and each with a white armband bearing the sign of the red cross.

The lead medic stepped up to Shepard, doffed her helmet, and saluted smartly.

"Captain Shepard? I am Lieutenant Carla Marston, team leader of Medical Away Team Charlie. Ready to assist."

Ignoring Chakwas' raising of an eyebrow upon hearing the rank 'Captain', Shepard introduced the doctor to Carla. "Lieutenant Marston, this is Doctor Chakwas, Chief Medical Officer of the Normandy. She'll coördinate your team."

Suddenly, Joker's voice rang out from the intercom. "Captain? The Descartes requested a private conversation."

"I'll take the call in the Comm Room, Joker," Shepard replied. He was dying to be by Miranda's side, but duty called. "Doctor..."

"Don't worry about Miranda. We'll arrange a transfer to the Descartes with emergency medical pods," Chakwas calmed Shepard down. "Now, go. I have a feeling this is very important. _Captain._"

Shepard just nodded, choosing to ignore the doctor's intonation regarding his newly-found rank. He knew he was leaving Miranda in good hands, but that still didn't manage to lift his gloomy feeling as he ascended the stairs.

He entered the Comm Room and locked the door behind him. Again, the disembodied voice of Captain MacLeod greeted him.

"Captain Shepard?"

"Yes, Captain MacLeod. Just 'Shepard' will suffice."

"Alright, you can also call me Duncan, then."

"Very well, Duncan. Now, what is it?"

The man on the other end of the transmission sighed, then continued with a grave voice. "I have seen the report on the extent of the Normandy's damage."

Shepard steeled himself. "And?"

"We don't have the necessary equipment or supplies to fix her. We have to evacuate all crew."

"And the ship?"

"We will shut it down and tow it."

Shepard closed his eyes. "We can't do that. Shutting down the ship... means shutting down EDI."

"I know, Shepard. The AI on your ship is extremely advanced. We hope we can put it in hibernation mode, or standby. Hopefully that will extend the emergency battery life."

"That is not possible," suddenly EDI interrupted. "My neural networks have evolved to a level of complexity that no longer allows standby or hibernation mode. However, there may be a solution."

"Go ahead, EDI. We're listening," Shepard said, intrigued.

"Without any crew, the life support system can be shut down completely, including all emergency lighting and the barriers. Based on my calculation, this will extend the battery life up to six hours. In addition, if a shunt can be made between the Kodiak shuttle in the shuttle bay and the power lines, I may be able to extend the battery life for an additional two hours."

"That gives us eight hours. I think that would be enough time for the tow ship to reach the Normandy and provide external power," MacLeod said with excitement. "What do you think, Shepard?"

Thinking quickly, Shepard agreed. "I think if we want to save EDI, that's the best plan we've got. Let's get to work."

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

The crew worked quickly and purposefully.

With the help of Ken, Gabby, and the mechanics from Descartes, Tali quickly jury-rigged the Kodiak to serve as backup battery.

The serious casualties were safely secured in med-pods, loaded into the Descartes shuttles, and shipped to the Descartes waiting nearby.

After taking care of the injured crewmembers, the rest of the crew quickly and orderly boarded the escape pods, and ejected. One by one the pods were gathered and towed to the waiting Descartes.

Everyone had left. Shepard, Joker, and Kelly were the last ones to board the pod attached to the bridge.

"Funny. It's ... déja vu... except that now I have this redhead with me," Joker noted as he entered the pod.

Shepard smiled. He'd known that Joker - and himself - would be the last to leave the Normandy. He did not expect, though, that Kelly would dare to threaten him with 'grievous physical injuries' if he tried separating the yeoman from her fiancé.

"I've learned my lesson, though. Never break your arm. Last time I did that, it cost me my life," Shepard grinned as he helped Kelly enter the pod. "And I am afraid the same thing will happen if I break your - or Kelly's - heart. So, I'm not going to risk it."

Joker laughed while Kelly blushed. Stutteringly, she tried to apologize, "I... I... I am sorry, Comm... Captain. I... I... I just want to... to be beside Jeff..."

Shepard lifted a hand, chuckling as he entered the pod. "Just kidding, Kelly. Now both of you, buckle up!" he ordered the couple as he himself buckled up and manned the pod's controls.

He punched the eject button.

As the pod sped off and distanced itself from the Normandy, Joker's eyes started to glass over. With a hoarse, cracking voice he whispered, "Take care, EDI. We'll come back for you..."

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

EDI watched through the cameras on each escape pod bay as the last of the pods sped away. All crewmembers had safely exited the ship. No lifesigns remained on board. She started to shut down the life support systems, the artificial gravity generators, the external sensors, and finally, the emergency lights.

She checked the level and drain rate of the emergency battery. It was as expected. Next, she checked the level and drain rate of the Kodiak-turned-battery. Also as expected.

Then she heard Joker's words.

"I know you will, Jeff. I know you will."

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

The Descartes' shuttle bay was in chaos. Shuttles kept exiting and parking, retrieving the Normandy's escape pods one by one. An escape pod had barely stopped skidding in the bay when the shuttle released its towing, did an about-face, then launched again for another one.

The ground crew was similarly busy. As soon as a pod was released, they winched it to the back side of the bay to provide space for the next one, before opening the pods and allowing the Normandy crew to step out.

It was chaotic, but not a mess; more like a very intricate modern dance or ballet.

The Normandy crew, understandably, had no time to appreciate this amazing choreography. They were busy crying and laughing and hugging each other as they regrouped at the back side of the bay, before a Descartes crewmember suggested that they *really* need to go upstairs to the Mess Hall, because they must make room for more incoming pods.

The crew obliged, except for Tali and Garrus who insisted on waiting for their best friend.

Finally, the last pod was towed in, and the shuttle bay shut.

The pod's door opened, and Shepard exited first to assist Joker; Kelly took up the rear.

"Hi Shepard," Garrus was the first one to greet. "Glad you could make it. Last time we had fun with escape pods, you were late and the train left without you -Oww!"

"Please don't make me remember that... that horrific moment!" Tali said, retracting her leg after stepping hard on Garrus' feet.

"Tali dearest, I think this new hobby of yours, stepping *hard* on my toe, needs to stop," Garrus muttered.

Shepard smiled, watching his two friends. "Hi guys. Yeah, glad I could make it this time. Thankfully, Joker's got a better half this time, and he listened to her," said Shepard, nodding his head to Joker and Kelly.

Said pilot just pulled down his cap, hiding his eyes, while the yeoman stood there awkwardly, hands behind her back, and tried to avoid the amused gazes of three pairs of eyes.

Shepard's happiness quickly ebbed away as the euphoria of escaping alive gave way to a feeling of loneliness. Garrus had Tali. Joker had Kelly. He...

Tali, ever the most sensitive person to read Shepard's body language, approached him and gently hugged him. "Miranda's already here. They took her to the med bay. Let's go see her."

The quintet arrived at the med bay. Through the undarkened glass window, Shepard watched Dr. Chakwas - and a man he didn't know yet, but who he guessed to be the Decartes' Chief Medical Officer - busily moving from bed to bed doing ... medical procedures. He also saw Carla inside, assisting the two doctors.

Shepard leaned against the window, partially because he wanted so badly to see Miranda, and partially because he felt exhausted, and needed something to lean against.

"Don't worry, your XO is in good hands. Dr. Karlsson is one of Cerberus' best, and based on the reports on Dr. Chakwas, she is also," a deep baritone voice from behind startled Shepard.

"Captain Shepard? I am XO Trinidad. Welcome aboard the Descartes. Sorry to have to meet you under such a dire circumstances."

The XO was a big guy. No, *huge* would be more precise. Shepard guessed that Trinidad was at least 20cm taller than him, with a huge, well-muscled body.

"Nice to make your acquaintance, XO Trinidad. Just call me Shepard," he said, extending his hand.

Trinidad enveloped Shepard's offered hand in his own huge one. "My pleasure to know you, Shepard. In that case, I also have to insist that you call me Pierre," the XO replied, smiling warmly.

"Alright. Pierre," Shepard returned the smile.

"If you would kindly meet Captain MacLeod with me? He is very anxious to see you. Not many survive a mid-transit break-up, you know."

Shepard nodded. "Lead the way."

When Shepard finally met MacLeod face-to-face, he couldn't help noticing the contrast with Trinidad.

MacLeod was only as tall as Shepard. His body was not muscular like Trinidad, in fact one might consider him lanky. But whatever he lacked from mass, he more than made up in charisma.

"Shepard! Finally we meet face-to-face. I'm *very* relieved that you made the transit alive," the Captain stood there ramrod straight, offering a hand to Shepard.

Shepard grabbed Duncan's offered hand. As he did that, he felt somewhat light-headed, but he just shrugged it off. "The pleasure is mine, Duncan. Without your timely arrival, we would've all perished. But somehow I don't believe it's a coincidence that you were there to assist."

"Nothing escapes your sharp observation. Yes, it was no coincidence. We have ... the same employer. It was a direct order from The Man himself to provide you an escort, just in case. And as it turned out, his hunch was right."

Shepard nodded. Silently he promised himself that he would thank The Illusive Man the next time they met.

"So, I guess this is the 'surprise' The Illusive Man said when he told us to make the transit."

Trinidad just chuckled. "Yes, but there will be more. You will know it when you see it."

Before Shepard had a chance to ask Trinidad about that curiosity-inducing statement, MacLeod continued.

"I have sent out words about the condition of the Normandy. A tow freighter will be coming with spare cells. ETA is four hours from now. The Normandy should be salvageable."

Shepard nodded, "Thank you Duncan."

Then, his adrenaline surge no longer giving him an energy boost, the events of the past hour caught up with him and struck him hard.

"I... feel... faint," was Shepard's last words before he collapsed.

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

Shepard woke up in the med bay.

"Captain. You gave us a hell of a scare back there," Chakwas reprimanded, although the worry in her voice was evident.

"Glad you collapsed in front of XO Trinidad. He managed to catch you before you hit your head on something," a male Scandinavian voice added. "Had it been Captain MacLeod that caught you, *both* of you would be here with head injuries."

"Y-yeah," Shepard commented, chuckling, as he tried to sit up on the bed. "Glad you have a body-builder as XO."

"How'd you know my previous profession before I joined Cerberus?" A baritone voice boomed from the med bay entryway. "It's supposed to be a secret," Trinidad said, clearly joking, as belied by the wide grin on his face. "Glad that muscle-power helped save the mission at the most critical time."

Shepard chuckled again. Then, remembering where he was, his eyes darted side to side before finding the one woman he was looking for.

_Miranda!_ He jumped off the bed, and quickly made his way to hers, totally ignoring his less-than-fit condition.

She was sleeping. Her neck brace had been removed, and the bandage around her head had been replaced. In was now tidier, and clean of blood.

"I've given her sedatives, Shepard," Chakwas explained. "Let her rest. She's alright."

"She'll have a big headache when she wakes up, for sure, but nothing serious."

Shepard nodded gratefully to Drs. Chakwas and Karlsson as he gently caressed his girlfriend's cheek. "What about Parker, Tomlinson, and Johnson?"

"We have put them under sedatives as well," Chakwas replied, gesturing to two beds and a med pod across the room.

"In addition, I have put Parker in stasis. We do not have equipment for spinal cord regeneration. He'll be immobilized and sleeping until we reach a better-equipped neurological operating room," Karlsson added.

Shepard nodded again. "Thanks for your help, Dr. Karlsson."

"Please, just call me Olaf."

"Alright, Olaf. So, what about the rest of my crew?"

"Oh most of them are resting in the sleeping quarters. The Descartes' crew have been very understanding of what ours went through, and voluntarily gave up their sleeping pods for them to rest in," Chakwas replied.

Olaf just nodded in affirmation. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have some cuts and bruises to attend to."

Shepard and Trinidad left the med bay. Shepard asked the XO, "How long was I out?"

"About two hours. In the meantime, the good Captain MacLeod managed to find a long lost friend."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. Then he turned a corner, and -

The Mess Hall was chaos. It was understandable, as in a space of one hour the number of hands on board had effectively more than doubled. The crew of the Descartes who had voluntarily given up their sleep shifts were milling about, talking among themselves, some milling with the Normandy's crew.

In the midst of the chaos, though, was a ring of people standing enraptured by what looked like two men trading war stories. Shepard and Trinidad approached that group.

"... so there I was, hauling his sorry ass out of the wreckage, complaining, 'That's it! I'm gonna get your driver's license revoked!'" Shepard heard the unmistakable voice of Gardner from the middle of the circle, followed by a hearty laugh from the spectators.

"Hey, c'mander! Or should I say, cap'n! Why don'cha join' in!" Gardner called out to Shepard when he caught a glance of the commander-now-captain among the bystanders.

"Ah, Shepard! You're up! How nice," MacLeod said, smiling. "I was just catching up with Gardner about the old days. He was once my crew, you know."

"Yeah. Cap'n MacLeod here was my first XO. Remember my story?"

"Yeah, now I remember," Shepard replied. "No wonder the name MacLeod somehow sounded familiar."

Shepard was about to sit down when the intercom blared. "Captain MacLeod, XO Trinidad, your presence is requested on the bridge. We are approaching the MacArthur."

"Oh, that's our cue to end the show, I believe," MacLeod said apologetically. "Sorry, Gardner old chap, let's continue again sometime, okay?"

"Alright," Gardner said. "I'm gonna teach yer cook some cookings then."

MacLeod led Shepard and Trinidad to the elevator. Entering the elevator, Shepard commented. "This ship looks mighty similar to the Normandy."

"Why, in fact, it *is* the twin of the Normandy," MacLeod said to Shepard. "The only difference is that we don't get an AI like yours. Only a VI. Then again, our missions were never as harrowing as yours."

Shepard raised an eyebrow as the elevator reached Deck 2.

MacLeod again led the trio to the cockpit area, striding purposefully.

"MacArthur hailing, sir."

"On screen."

"This is the Descartes requesting berthing. I have with me the crew of the Normandy including Captain Shepard."

"Go ahead Descartes. You have Berth 2H. And for your information, the tow-freighter Hot Potato left for the Normandy about an hour ago."

"Thank you MacArthur. Descartes out."

Shepard looked at MacLeod quizically. "I'm sure you have questions you're dying to ask, Shepard. So, shoot."

"MacArthur," Shepard began. "Is a space station? Or space port?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"Because we needed to ask for berthing."

"No, to both questions," MacLeod chuckled. "Rogers, show the MacArthur on-screen."

Shepard stood there mouth agape as he finally saw what the MacArthur was.

Its sleek hull gleamed in white. The name MacArthur was boldly emblazoned on its sides, beside the ubiquituous orange Cerberus logo. Guiding lights showed berthing docks. At a glance, one could count off at least 8 large-ish berths on the side the Descartes was facing. There were also uncountable smaller berthing doors, undoubtedly sized for fighters. A guess confirmed by the fact that there were at least six fighters were patrolling its perimeter.

It was not a space station. And definitely not a space port. It was -

"A dreadnought..." Shepard finally managed to find his voice.

"Courtesy of Cerberus. Welcome to your new home, Shepard. This shall be your mobile base, allowing extended missions without need of visiting non-friendly spaceports for repairs and resupplies."

Shepard just stood there dumbfounded.

"Ah, berth 2H has fully opened. Hawthorne, take us in, if you please," Trinidad broke the silence, giving an order to the pilot.

"Aye aye, sir. Taking the Descartes in," she replied.

_Wait._ "Hawthorne? Your name is Hawthorne?"

"Jessica Hawthorne, sir," the pilot answered politely, without taking her eyes off her console. "I am Robert Hawthorne's younger sister."

_Two pilots in a family. Wow._

The Descartes slid easily into Berth 2H, guided under the apparently very skillful hands of Hawthorne. It glided to a stop, then the magnetic clamps of the berth grabbed the ship and held it steady as a boarding ramp extended to the ship's airlocks.

"Parked and," Hawthorne tapped the general engine shutdown button, "secured. Welcome to the MacArthur."

"Come, Shepard. I'm sure Captain Van Persie is dying to meet you. You're a legend. Pierre, you have the bridge. Arrange for the crew's shore time."

"Aye aye, sir," Trinidad replied, giving the captain a smart salute.

Shepard followed MacLeod across the boarding walkway. He noticed that there were two men in Cerberus uniform waiting. One of them looked to be in his mid twenties, while the other one... well, it was a bit difficult to guess his age, but with his full head of grey hair, and the crease marks all over his face, Shepard guessed he couldn't be younger than fifty.

"Captain Van Persie, Captain MacLeod of the Descartes requests permission to board the MacArthur."

"Ah, Duncan. Like you don't know me already. I hate formalities you know. Well, here's to humoring you: Permission granted. Now off with the formal crap, already!"

MacLeod laughed. "You know I always like to rile you up, Jaan. Here's Captain Shepard."

"Ah, the man who escaped from Death, and then flashed him the bird for a second time at the Collector Base.

And in the process, saved the galaxy, twice. Welcome aboard son! Oh, and you can call me Jaan... sorry, I meant I *insist* you call me Jaan. There's no place for stinking formalities aboard the MacArthur."

This time, it was Shepard turn to laugh. "Nice to meet you, Jaan. Then, I have to insist that you call me Shepard. Or Theo."

"Nah, I'll call you Shepard. Theo's taken. By the way, this here is Tommy, my aide."

"Thomas White, at your service, sir," the young man saluted the captains.

MacLeod saluted back before ribbing the older captain, "Aide? So, age finally caught up with you?"

"One more joke of my age and I'll duct-tape your mouth, Duncan," Van Persie shot back with mock anger. The glint in his eyes, though, completely showed that he was amused.

"Yeah, I guess your aide must be carrying a whole load of duct tapes for you," MacLeod retorted, drawing a laugh from all four men.

"Come on," Van Persie gestured to Shepard and MacLeod. "Let's walk. Big Boss wants to talk with us all."

A dreadnought was really too big to walk around in, so if someone said 'walk', that meant taking a ride an electric cart. And the MacArthur had carts on the ready, at least for the higher ranks.

The gang of four hopped on a cart nearby, and off they went to the bridge.

"Just to rest your worries, Shepard," Van Persie said as his aide expertly wove around the traffic. "Your team will be taken care of. We have enough room to board ten Normandies at once. Also, your casualties are, as we speak, being taken to the ship's hospital. And we're on our way to pick up the Normandy."

Shepard nodded. "Thank you, Jaan."

"Aaah, no sweat. The least we can do for the ops-dir of Lazarus Cell."

"Ops-dir?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

Deciding to let the matters lie for awhile, Shepard took the time to admire the MacArthur.

The ship was big, that was for sure. That, in itself, was not enough reason to be awed. After all, Shepard was born in a dreadnought, and spent his childhood there.

No, the things that had amazed him had been the completely different design of the dreadnought. Instead of the sleek, elongated shape of the Alliance's dreadnoughts, the MacArthur was more stout. It looked more like... the Destiny Ascension rather than any Alliance dreadnoughts he had ever seen. Granted, the Alliance had only two dreadnought classes, but they looked generally similar to each other.

The other thing that had amazed him was the existence of berths, big enough to dock a ship the size of the Normandy or the Descartes fully *inside* the MacArthur. Which meant that, width wise, the MacArthur was much wider than any Alliance dreadnought in existence.

There was another question bugging his mind.

"Jaan, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, what?"

"It's quite unusual you know, for a dreadnought to be so... informal. What do people call you for respect?"

Van Persie mulled the question for a while, before answering, "I had told the crew to call me Uncle Jaan. And they did. Until my daughter, her husband, and their children came."

White could hardly suppress his smile, while MacLeod was already shaking trying to suppress a laugh.

"Okayyy... then what happened?"

"My grandkids called me Opa Jaan, and before you can say 'grandfather', *everyone* called me Opa Jaan," he said, huffing resignedly. [3]

At this point, MacLeod broke out in laughter, as did White.

Before Shepard could say anything, Van Persie turned to him, and looked dead straight into his eyes. "And if you ever call me 'Opa', I'm gonna string you up, then have you drawn and quartered!"

Shepard, out of politeness, just grinned. "Alright, I won't call you Opa, Uncle Jaan."

The other two men broke out in laughter again as Van Persie huffed. "That's better!"

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

"Your turn," MacLeod said to Shepard as he exited the Comm Room.

Shepard sighed, then entered. The usual holomatrix scanning took place, and then he was once again face to face with The Illusive Man.

"Shepard. Glad you made the transit," The Illusive Man said calmly.

"We almost died there. And without the timely arrival of the Descartes, we would have died. Thank you."

"It is just wise business acumen to protect one's investment, Shepard," The Illusive Man played down the fact. "I don't like spending billions credits to rebuild something that could be prevented from being destroyed in the first place."

Shepard just nodded.

"The total cost for building all these easily outsizes the annual budget for Illium. But again, it's money well spent," the billionaire spoke nonchalantly, while looking at a datapad he was holding, totally ignoring the shocked look on Shepard's face.

"I've seen the preliminary reports on the extent of the Normandy's damage. And I have to say, it's really serious," he spoke gravely. "At least four weeks of downtime for repair. *If* it's repairable," he shook his head nearly imperceptibly.

Shepard raised an eyebroow. "'If'?"

"We won't know the full extent until the Normandy docks."

"I see."

"So, what do you think, Shepard?" The Illusive Man asked, as he set aside his datapad and leant back in his chair.

Shepard smiled. "This is the surprise you mentioned a couple of days ago? Nice. I'll live."

The Illusive Man nodded. "I have also decided to appoint you the Operations Director of the Lazarus Cell."

"So, that's the 'ops-dir' Captain Van Persie spoke about," Shepard affirmed.

"He told you already? That takes some edge off the surprise, then," the Cerberus leader said, feigning disappointment.

"Not really. I mean, okay so I am an ops-dir. What's that supposed to mean?"

"Simply put, the Descartes and the MacArthur would be under your command. I have assigned them to support your missions. You will use these resources strategically, Shepard. You're going to need field-tested strategic skills to face the Reapers. This will be a good opportunity to learn."

Shepard just nodded. After lots of discussions with the Cerberus leader, he had to admit that, even though he was a tactician par excellence, he was not a great strategist. Yet.

"Have lots of talks with Captain Van Persie and Captain MacLeod. They are veterans. You can learn lots of strategies from them."

"Won't they feel slighted? I mean, they're much more senior than me," Shepard replied, some worry evident in his face.

The Illusive Man just shook his head. "I wouldn't worry, Shepard. They know their duties. They know our aims. They will set aside their seniority if that will help Cerberus' mission. And I do believe you have the inter-personal skills to treat them respectfully."

Shepard nodded. "Thanks for the trust."

The Illusive Man just waved aside Shepard's thanks. "You've earned it. Now, I still have one more surprise for you."

"Oh?" Shepard raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Later. Now, I've received report of Officer Lawson's injuries. She will be out of commission for at least one week. Too bad. She's going to miss the party."

Shepard tilted his head. "What party?"

"The farewell party for Mr. Krios of course. You think I've forgotten that?"

"Oh."

"You'll need a fast, lightly armed ship. One without Cerberus logos. Ask Captain Van Persie. You'll be pleasantly surprised," The Illusive Man again said enigmatically.

"Alright. Thanks again."

"The least I can do for a fellow father. I have nothing more at this time. We need EDI for further planning."

"EDI? Why?"

"I can't say right now, Shepard," The Illusive Man brushed Shepard's question aside. "Just focus on on retrieving young Krios. You'll need to plan. The Alliance are alarmed that the Omega 4 relay has been activated twice. The security around the Citadel has been increased significantly."

Shepard pondered that news for awhile. "Hmm... why are they that alarmed? I mean, the Collectors have been using the Omega 4 relay back and forth."

"They are not alarmed because of the activation itself. They are alarmed because of *who* activated the relay. They've put out a low-profile search order for you," said The Illusive Man, emphasizing his words by gesturing at Shepard.

"Me? What?" Shepard asked increduously.

"You, or maybe because you're now associated with Cerberus. I have no further information, so I won't speculate further. Suffice to say, be careful, Shepard."

"Alright, I will."

"Anything else you'd like to ask, perhaps?"

"Nope. Oh wait, yes. Since when am I a captain?"

"Why not? You're the de facto captain of the Normandy."

"Uhuh, well... it's just... I don't know... I guess I still felt like an Alliance commander..."

"That will pass. Anything else?"

"Nothing."

"Alright. Please prepare your team then. Time is of the essence. And don't forget to check your next present from me. Cerberus Command out."

Shepard walked out of the Comm Room and joined the two captains talking outside.

"Ah! So, the boss told you already of your next present?" Van Persie asked.

"Hm? Oh yeah. He told me to ask you about it. Sorry, my thought was for my next mission."

"Alright, let's walk to berth 3M then. You coming, Duncan?"

"I think I have to go back to the Descartes. The modifications The Illusive Man sent have just arrived, and knowing Pierre, he'll be insisting on my signature for all modification plans."

"Pierre, hah! Such a stickler for formalities. Why'd you keep him as XO anyway?"

"The same reason you kept Pamela Barnaby as XO."

Van Persie's eyes went extra wide. "You slept with Pierre?"

"Good grief, no!" MacLoud grimaced. "I'm straight, thank you. What I meant was, he's very tidy in all administrative matters. Just like Pamela."

"Oh. Sorry. Well, you've been breathing for forty... something years and never set your eyes upon a girl, it's just natural, I think, for people to start wondering about your sexual orientation."

MacLeod just shook his head. "Pervert old man... well, Shepard, I've got to go. Trust me, despite his lecherous tendencies, Captain Van Persie is one of the best when it comes to hospitality. You're in good hands."

Shepard smiled weakly. The two older captains' bantering had reminded him of Miranda, who was at the moment lying on a hospital bed somewhere in this humongous ship.

A hard slap on Shepard's shoulder brought him out of his reverie. "Come, let me show you your Christmas present."

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

As soon as the Descartes docked, Dr. Karlsson was busy coordinating for 'ambulances' to transport the injured crewmen to the MacArthur's hospital. In the meantime, Dr. Chakwas maneouvered the gurneys - and one medic pod - to queue just inside the airlock.

Soon enough, eight paramedics came running down the ramp, and started moving the pod and the gurneys to the waiting 'ambulances', which, in this case, were four electric carts with covered backs. The pod carrying Parker went first, followed by the gurneys bearing Tomlinson and Johnson. Dr. Chakwas ran along the gurney carrying Miranda.

When they were loading Miranda's gurney on the ambulance, she stirred and murmured in a plaintive voice, "Th... Theo... Theo?"

_She sounds like a small girl, lost, crying for her father._ Dr. Chakwas' heart reached out to Miranda. The doctor leant over Miranda, grabbed her hand, and softly spoke into her ear. "Theo's okay. He'll be here soon. Now go back to sleep."

As Miranda drifted back to unconsciousness, Dr. Chakwas couldn't help shaking her head and caressed Miranda's hair.

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

The rest of the crew gathered on the cargo loading ramp, as a MacArthur crewmember performed a roll call and assigned their quarters. Upon receiving their assignment, the crew left.

All of them except Joker, Kelly, and the squad.

The roll call guy, a private in his early twenties, approached the bunch and nodded to Joker and Kelly.

"I have been told to handle you personally, and I can see why," he smiled, noticing Joker and Kelly holding hands. The pilot just pulled down his cap, while the yeoman got herself busy inspecting her boots. "Mr. Moreau and Ms. Chambers, you've been assigned quarter 1-C01."

"Wait," Joker interrupted. "The '1' is the berth number. What's the 'C'?"

"It's the Couples' quarters, sir." [4]

A chorus of hoots and applauses managed to make the pair beet red in their face.

"As to Captain Shepard's squad -"

"Wait, he's a fucking captain now? When did he get promoted?" Jack wondered out loud, cutting the private's sentence.

"Yes. Per standard Cerberus protocol, commanding officers of ships are Captains, post facto."

"Yeah, right. I forgot. We're with Cerberus now. Fuck me," Jack commented, rolling his eyes.

Jacob continued, "Okay. Joker and Kelly got one couple's room. Who got the other?"

"It's us!" Kasumi squealed in delight, making Jacob looked *very* shell-shocked.

"No, I'm sorry, Ms. Goto. The other couples room is for Mr. Vakarian and Ms. Zorah," the private said, checking up his datapad. "Complete with double seals, sterilizers, dextro snacks and drinks, and some restraining equipment."

Ten pairs of eyes bore down on the turian and quarian. Like Kelly, Tali suddenly found her boots to be very interesting. But lacking a cap like Joker, Garrus could only stutter, "Um." [5]

The private coughed. "Excuse me, I'd like to inform you of your assigned quarters please."

The squad murmured their agreement as the private started reading out his list.

"Ms. Goto, your berth is1-Oscar-01."

"What's Oscar?" Kasumi asked.

"That's military speak for 'O'," Jacob replied, earning him a smack on the arm.

"I know that, dummy. What's it stand for?"

"It signifies the Officer's quarters, ma'am," the private explained.

"Oh, wow! ... Wait, Jacob's surname is 'T', does that mean he's not in the room next to me?"

The private glanced at his datapad. "No, ma'am. In fact, he'll be quite far away, in quarters CO-22. That's the Cerberus Officers quarters, near the bridge."

No conscious person could miss Jacob making a 'victory pumping' motion, his mouth hissing 'Yesssssss'. Especially an extremely annoyed Japanese girl, who proceeded to fold her arms and pout.

"Mr. Grunt, you will have quarters 1-O-11."

"Wait, why the numbering jump?" Grunt asked.

"The female officers' quarters are separate from the male officers' quarters, sir. The female quarters are numbered one through ten, while the male quarters are numbered eleven through twenty." [6]

Grunt huffed. "Ah, like the separate female clan in Tuchanka. Speaking of which, you have physical training equipment that can stand the might of a krogan?"

"A shipment of krogan-grade gym equipment is on its way, sir."

"Good," Grunt exclaimed. "What about the ship's library? Does it have the biographies of great earth battlemasters?"

The private stared at the krogan blankly upon hearing the word 'battlemasters'.

Grunt shook his head. "I mean, generals. Great earth generals. And their battles."

"Ah, our library is quite complete with those, sir."

"Wonderful!" Grunt bellowed. "I'm beginning to like this ship already!"

The private nodded. "To continue, Ms... Jack, you will have quarters 1-O-02."

Jack nodded.

"Mr. Krios, you will have quarters 1-O-12. We have installed dehumidifying equipment for your needs."

"Much appreciated, thank you," Thane replied.

"The Big Boss did not spare a dime for you at all, sir.

"Next, Mr. Legion-"

"Technically, we are not a Mr.," the geth replied. "We are a gestalt entity of 1'083 processes, which for the purposes of identification aboard the Normandy, are called Legion."

"Uh...Of course... You will be located in Research Lab-"

"Wait!" Jacob exclaimed, stepping forward. "Legion is part of the team. He is not to be experimented upon, and no negotiating about that!"

"Uh... why, of course, sir. The Man himself had personally ordered that."

"He did?" Jacob raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. He gave us the order to *not* disturb Mis... um, Legion *at*all*, and to allow him to exchange data with the ship's AI. And, at his discretion, share the AI's workload in a grid manner. That is why Legion will be located in the Research Lab Hub Alpha, where the ship's AI core is."

"That is acceptable," Legion declared. "The willingness of Cerberus to cease all hostilities toward us is appreciated. We calculate an 80% increase in the probability that geth will partner with Cerberus in defending against the Old Machines."

The private just dumbly nodded. What had just happened had gone straight over his head. Not knowing how to reply, he continued with his list.

"Mr Massani, you shall have quarters 1-O-13-"

"Thir-teen," Zaeed drawled. "Not a good number. Say, you have a good pub onboard?"

"Yes, sir. We have Ten-forward, The Watering Hole, and-"

"Ten-forward? Ten's a good number. I think I'll spend more time there than in bloody room number thirteen," Zaeed said.

"Yeah, like you're going to spend your time off-pub anywhere but my place," Jack added, licking her lips.

"Uh... okay... next would be, Ms. Samara. You will be assigned room 1-O-03."

"Does it have a view of the stars?" Samara asked.

"I'm sorry, it doesn't. There's an observation deck nearby, though, ma'am."

"Private deck? I need privacy for meditation."

"There are private booths there, ma'am. If you want, I can arrange with the security guys to assign one permanently to you, so whenever you need to meditate, you can use that booth."

"That will be much appreciated."

"Finally, Professor Mordin."

"Actually. Proper way to address salarian when using honorific, is to use given name. Not clan name. Clan name shared by many. Given name chosen using random function over a database of given names," Mordin paused, taking a breath, "thus ensuring low probability of name collision." [7]

"Uh, okay, sorry about that, Professor. You are assigned quarters R-29, that's in the Research Lab section."

"Waste of space. Most likely, will be busy *in* research lab. Salarians only need one hour of sleep."

"Maybe so, sir. But it's also standard Cerberus policy that everyone have a private - or semi-private in the case of non-officers - place of their own."

"Still, a waste of space. Only need a cot, a public bathroom will suffice for hygiene purposes. Can put cot in lab?"

The private sighed. He had thought his job would be easy: _Come, do a roll call, assign rooms, leave_. Now he understood why this bunch wasn't grouped with the rest of the crew.

"I'm very sorry, professor, that is against Cerberus regulations."

Mordin huffed. "Wasteful. Still, will not argue with employer. Alright, will take room. But, note my displeasure at such wasteful allocation."

"I will, sir, I will," the private quickly answered. _Anything _to get this over with. "Alright, for directions to your quarters, feel free to use the terminals. The ship's AI will guide you. Any other thing I can help you with?"

The squad collectively shook their heads.

The private saluted them all, clicked his heels, and left, thinking of only one thing.

_Aspirin._

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

Shepard, Van Persie, and White arrived at berth 3M. Disembarking from their cart, Van Persie led Shepard to a window overlooking the berth.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" the old captain said, smiling.

Shepard couldn't help but smile as well.

Docked in the berth was a brand new spaceship, its hull painted in gleaming pearly-cream. Its four thrusters were installed at the ends of four 'wings', extended around the ship making a flattened 'X' cross-section. The thrusters and the wings were painted in titanium metal tint.

The sides of the hull were lined with two rows of silver-tinted windows. Between the two rows was the inscription, in bold red capitals, "CORD-HISLOP CATAMARAN XS-3020L".

"Cord-Hislop's newest X-wing sport catamaran. In luxury configuration. Can't take many people, but it will deliver you anywhere quickly, in comfort and in style. People all over the galaxy have been drooling over this baby. This one just arrived two days ago, straight from the factory," Van Persie explained.

"What's her name?"

"Why, she's yours to name, Shepard! When you've decided upon a name, we'll paint it on the hull. Without Cerberus logo, the Boss is explicit on that."

Shepard nodded. "What do you think? Take her for a spin?" he asked Van Persie, grinning stupidly like a seventeen-year-old given his first aircar.

The older captain laughed heartily. "I thought you'd never ask! I'll page my private pilot, and he'll drive that girl. Um, mind if I ask you a favor?"

Still grinning, Shepard asked back, "No problem. What?"

"When the Normandy's back to full capacity, and you're not riding the catamaran, can I borrow her for ... personal business?"

That was one of the hardest decisions Shepard had had to make in his entire life.

·

* * *

·

**Author's Note:** Visit my blog (URL below) for the following:  
+ List of footnotes (those numbers in square brackets, e.g., [1])  
+ Chapter exposition  
+ Discussions

URL for the blogpost about this chapter (choose one):

**mcaf. ee/da798**

** bit. ly/fVVBfk**

(just remove the space after the dot)

URL to my blog (choose one):

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(just remove the spaces)


	2. S1E02: Ending and Beginning

**A/N: **Sorry for the long delay. Two reasons: (1) My company decides to deploy 'Cloud Servers', and that takes *a lot* of my time. (2) A 5.4kg 2-month old Bundle-of-Joy whose name is Stanley.

I dedicate this chapter to Stanley, my boy who doesn't realize he's still 2-month old yet already want to crawl, sit, walk, and talk :-)

·

* * *

·

**Private Dock 2205  
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel**

The three of them were trapped behind those cargo crates, shots from assault rifles and semi machine guns whizzing around them, some managing to hit the crates and chipping the boxes, bit by bit.

"We need to get to that control panel and shut the door!" Shepard yelled to his friends. "Or else they'll come in, and everything's lost!"

Garrus shouted back over the din, "It's a hail of bullets! We won't make it!"

"We have to!"

Thane glanced around his crate. A shot clanged against the crate's reinforced corner. He glanced at Garrus and Shepard. They were busy trying to peek around or over their cover, trying to land a shot that counts. He glanced back at the door, and saw the opposing forces coming nearer, almost reaching the entrance.

Taking a deep breath, he launched himself into a sprint.

"No, Thane! No!" Shepard and Garrus yelled as they saw their friend being mowed down by the force gathering outside the dock.

·

·

·

**Lazarus Cell **—

—** The Series**

·

**Season 1 Episode 02**

══ **Ending and Beginning **══

·

·

·

_Nations will rise and fall. Wars will be lost and won._

_Lives will begin and end. But a true friend is eternal._

_~ Jon Koroluk_

·

·

·

**Briefing Room 2  
CSV MacArthur**

"My sources in Citadel told me that security in Citadel has been increased since Shepard had been declared a wanted person," Thane spoke gravely. "They now insist on DNA tests for humans. It seems that entering through the passenger docks is out of the question."

"Not only that. They are closely watching the Serpent Nebula Mass Relay. Ships arriving at the Mass Relay will be intercepted by the Alliance first, before allowed approach to the Citadel," Garrus added.

"What? They perform space-boarding now?" Jacob asked, somewhat surprised.

"No, but they will... 'interview' the ship's captain, asking what business he has on the Citadel, who his contact is, where will you stay, and so forth," Garrus replied.

"All that for Shepard?" Zaeed remarked, shaking his head. "Bloody waste of resources, if you ask me."

Shepard just stood there, arms folded, brows furrowed in deep concentration. "What about the cargo delivery area? They strengthen the security there also?"

"Yes," Thane answered. "But there will be less guards there. We *might* be able to infiltrate, if a suitable diversion can be arranged."

"Hmm," Shepard scratched his lower cheek. "That means, we have to send in a diversion squad through the passenger docks. People who weren't on the Citadel's 'watch for' list."

"I can go in," Tali offered. "But a quarian on her own... well... you know what the Citadel people thought of us..."

"I will accompany you," Grunt suddenly piped up. "They wouldn't dare search for trouble with a krogan."

"Agreed. Citadel fear of krogan might still strong," Mordin concurred. "Two is not enough. Need at least four or five. I volunteer."

"With your broken horn, Mordin? I don't think so," Jacob said. "With all due respect, Prof, you'll stand out like a sore thumb."

"Broken horn, can be camouflaged. Silicone gel, with sepia and rust tint, easy to make false horn. Might not last long, but should suffice."

"Great idea, Mordin," Shepard approved. "That's three. What about you, Kasumi?"

"Aw, c'mon, Shep. You know me better than that. It'll be like walking in the park. Except easier. I'm in!"

"I can assist also, Shepard," Thane added.

"No, Thane, you'll be assisting me in the cargo area. I will be needing your stealth, just in case we have to take down unexpected guards. In addition, I'll be relying on your eidetic memory to guide me through the labyrinthine cargo area," Shepard said, getting a nod from the Drell.

"I will join the diversionary squad," Samara volunteered.

"You? With your bitchin' outfit? Get real!" Jack commented. "You'll be drawing attention like flies to a rotten corpse."

"Jack's got a point," Shepard said. "You need an outfit that's less... exotic. If you don't mind, ask Barbara for a nice, less... attention-drawing dress."

"I will," Samara nodded.

"Alright. Now, the infiltration team shall consist of me, Thane, Jacob, and Garrus. Jack, you and Zaeed shall stay on the docks. Try to keep people away from the ship. And Legion, I want you to assist Joker in watching over us. Patch into the Citadel's monitoring system, if necessary."

"Understood, Shepard-Captain," Legion affirmed.

"Fine by me," Joker quipped.

"One question, Shepard," Garrus raised a hand. "What's the rules of engagement?"

"Minimize casualty," Shepard bluntly said. "Do not fire unless your life is being threatened. And by 'fire', I also mean biotic powers."

"Aww, what's the fun in that!" Jack protested, folding her arms.

"There will be time for fun, but not now," Shepard replied sternly. "Alright, now to the second part of the mission: find and retrieve Kolyat. Who has any suggestion?"

"He's doing community service under Bailey's supervision, right? What about we pay the man a visit?" Garrus suggested.

"And walk right down the path into the lion's den? Thanks, but no, thanks," Jacob replied. "Why not just contact him and ask for information?"

"I concur. C-Sec communication, unlikely to be tapped. Except by salarian STG. But STG unlikely to be interested in Shepard like the Alliance. Possibility of success, significant. Recommend though," Mordin pauses to take a breath, "to send message from within Citadel. Communication from outside, suspicious."

"Then we'll need a place to lay low for awhile," Shepard said, scratching his lower cheek again. "Have to wait until Bailey's shift is over. Hmmm..."

"I like the sound of that 'Hmmm...', you obviously have something in mind," Garrus quipped, his mandibles flaring slightly.

Shepard grinned at his turian pal. "Tali, Garrus, what say you we pay a visit to good Dr. Michel again?"

"Ooh, I'd love to! I like her a lot. She helped me so much during my pilgrimage," Tali squealed with delight.

"Yeah, we know. We were there saving your bu— life, remember? ... Owww!"

Shepard shook his head. "No more shotgun lines, Tali?" he asked the quarian, half smiling half rolling his eyes.

"Action speaks louder than words, Shepard," Tali replied, mirth clearly heard in her voice, as she again resumed sitting nice and tidy after kicking Garrus in the shin. The said turian, however, sat there glaring at the quarian with the turians' equivalent of oh-just-you-wait-for-my-punishment look.

"But just barging on on this doctor... wouldn't that disturb her?" Samara asked, concerned about their etiquette. Or lack of it.

"Well, she *did* tell me, Tali, and Garrus to drop by when I'm in the Citadel... so I'm just taking up on her offer."

"I'm sure you'll like her, too, Samara," Tali added. "She's one of the most un-selfish individual I've ever seen in my life."

Samara nodded, smiling. "She is a just woman, then. I'll be honored to meet her."

"Alright, so we lay down low, meet Bailey, pick up Kolyat, then leave. Sounds easy to me," Jacob piped up.

"Except that we do not now exactly *where* Kolyat is doing his community service," Thane reminded.

Garrus suddenly went into a deep thought, "Hmm... that may cause some complications..."

"What do you mean?" Tali asked.

"If Kolyat's doing something menial for his community service, it would be easy. But what if his community service is done in a Citadel governmental facility? Or other places where there's a lot of C-Sec or Alliance people?"

"You have a point there, Garrus," Shepard replied, himself going into a deep thought of his own.

"We can just let the diversion team contact him. Or maybe even just two or three of us. No need to attract attention by having the whole group visiting him," Samara suggested.

"Look who's talking," Jack piped up. "An asari with an outfit men will do a double-take."

"Samara is right," Shepard quickly added before Samara got a chance to retort. "Only Thane and me will meet with Kolyat. The rest of you will secure a rapid transport back to the ship."

"Split into two groups again?" Garrus asked.

"No. This time, we'll barge through the passenger gate. Jack, Zaeed, when I gave you the signal, you open the gate from the inside."

Grunt punched his left palm. "That's more like it! Action, finally!"

"Do we get to kill people?" Jack asked, grinning gleefully.

"Try to make them unconscious but *alive*. Now Joker, make sure the ship's engines are warm. We may need to split immediately."

"You can count on me, captain."

"Good. Now, any questions? If not, then this briefing is con—"

Sounds of crashes, shouts, and general commotion from outside the Briefing Room interrupted Shepard's sentence. Shepard immediately turned around to face the door.

With a swish sound, the door slides open revealing...

"Miranda!"

She was still dressed in hospital garb, layers of bandage still wrapped around her head. It's apparent that she's still somewhat under the effects of drugs, judging from her hunching body, leaning against the doorframe.

"So, you're... leaving without me?"

"What are you doing out of bed, Miri? I thought you're still under orders to rest..." Shepard said as he briskly walked toward his girlfriend. A wise decision, for mere seconds later, Miranda tumbled.

"Oww... my head..." she hissed in pain as Shepard deftly caught her in his arms. "... hurts ..."

There were sounds of people running to the briefing room, and within a couple of seconds, Shepard saw Dr. Chakwas and Dr. Karlsson, accompanied by three nurses, worry clearly etched on their face.

"Captain! Sorry... she insisted to see you, even taking one of the nurse hostage."

Shepard just smiled; he couldn't stop his growing admiration for the woman he loved.

"I... I couldn't let you go... just like that..." Miranda spoke haltingly, as she tried to stand up straight, still in the embrace of the captain.

"Shhh, it's okay, sweetheart. I'll be back in no time," Shepard softly replied, trying to calm her.

"I... I keep having nightmares... someone will die... Shepard... please... please don't go..." Miranda implored, begging to him, tears running down her cheek, as she rested her head on his chest plate.

"Shhh, don't talk like that... No one's going to die. Especially, not me," Shepard cooed to her, supporting her weight with his left arm, and carressing her cheek with the back of his right-hand fingers. "Look at me," Shepard said, making her turn her face towards him. "I'll be back. Safe and sound."

"P... promise?"

"I promise. And this is a promise I can guarantee, this time," Shepard replied, smiling lovingly at her.

Finally satisfied, Miranda smiled back... and passed out. Promptly the nurses stepped in and gently carried her out to a gurney, accompanied by a very concerned-looking head-shaking Dr. Karlsson.

"Will she be okay, doc?" Shepard asked Chakwas, who was still standing there.

"She'll be okay. Only that the past twelve hours, she's been mumbling in her sleep, moaning again and again, 'No, no, don't die!'," Chakwas sighed and shook her head. Looking at the captain dead in the eye, she added, "I have a bad feeling about this mission. Stay safe... Theo."

Shepard just nodded as Dr. Chakwas turned around and left.

The rest of the squad, even Jack, had the decency enough to not comment on what had just taken place in front of their eyes, busying themselves with soft chit-chats.

"Alright, squad. Let's go."

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**"Happy Thoughts" Catamaran  
Near the Valhalla Threshold Relay**

"Now I *still* think 'Happy Thoughts' a stupid name for a ship, but I can guess where you got it, captain!" Joker exclaimed gleefully as he executed another tight S-split turn.

"Can you... please just... pilot this damn boat straight?" Jacob protested from one of the plush chairs, his face having an unhealthy greenish tint.

"Hey! I thought you used to be a Corsair hotshot!" Kasumi teased the soldier.

"Corsairs don't fly twisting and turning into the lion's mouth. Straight in, straight out," Jacob meekly retorted before he groaned, "I'll *never* eat venison again."

Grunt murmurred something that sounded like 'weak', followed by a shaking of his head, as the krogan returned to his reading.

"Whaddaya talkin' about, Taylor!" Zaeed gleefully yelled. "This is one damn fun ride! Reminds of the time when I had to scram away from those bloody eclipse after stormin' their base. Why I had only this damn creaky-old shuttle..."

The other passengers of the ship just groaned as Zaeed started to recount yet another (obviously dramaticized) tale of his 'escapades'. All except Jack, who grinned and looked at the old merc with fascination.

Shaking his head, Shepard returned his gaze to the front-facing window. He was seated in the co-pilot's seat beside Joker. Even though he couldn't steer a catamaran if his life depended on it, he still found it fascinating to sit there behind the expanse of the forward viewport, watching the stars.

Yet his mind was thousands of miles away, as he recalled Miranda's words.

"You know, if you were Kelly sitting beside me, I would've rubbed your thigh and say, 'a penny for your thought.'"

Shepard managed to snort a chuckle. "I'll take the penny but you can spare me the rubby. No... nothing serious."

"Let me guess, you miss a certain female who usually struts around with skin-tight suits."

"Yes. Partially. Mostly I kept thinking about her ... nightmares."

The cockpit area went silent for awhile, only punctuated by the voice of Zaeed telling more of his tales, interspersed with groans and protests of disbelief from his involuntary listeners.

Suddenly the two humans felt a presence behind them. Turning around real quickly (or, as quick as he dared, in the case of Joker) they saw Thane slipping himself in a jumpseat behind Shepard.

"Geez! You scared the bejeebus out of me, Thane!" Joker exclaimed. "Stop doing that!"

"I'm sorry. Old habits die hard, I guess," Thane replied.

"Easy to see why they call you the galaxy's best, Thane," Shepard said, smiling.

Thane smiled back.

"So. What brings you up here to join us two traitorous humans, Thane?" Joker asked, turning back toward his controls.

Thane just shrugged. "I don't know exactly. Maybe I'd like to speak with you, Shepard. If you're not busy at the moment."

"Sure thing, Thane. Uh, is this something private?"

Thane shook his head. "No, it's alright for Joker to hear."

"Okay. So, what's up?"

Thane coughed once before continuing, "I have been thinking of what Miranda said, before we left the MacArthur."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"

"The one where she said that someone's going to die."

Shepard looked at Thane's face in silence for a couple of seconds before carefully continuing, "I think that's just some nightmare. Don't lose your sleep over that."

Thane shook his head. "No, Shepard. I do believe that is a bad omen. Remember I told you once about our belief? About how our souls and our bodies are separate?"

Shepard nodded.

"Dreams are part of a soul's life, just like memories are. But what differs dreams from memories, is that dreams are messages from the gods. Premonitions of things to come, instead of reminiscences of things that have passed," Thane explaines.

Shepard just sat there in silence.

"Shepard, if the time comes, please remember what you have promised." [1]

Shepard looked into the drell's eyes, and solemnly said, "I will."

There was a moment of silence as the drell and the human sat there, face to face, in understanding of each other.

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**"Happy Thoughts" Catamaran  
On approach to The Citadel**

The passage through the Citadel's Mass Relay was uneventful, and so was the cursory 'interview' with the Alliance frigate that approached them after the mass relay transit.

"So far so good," Garrus spoke first. "Let's hope that our infiltration will be as smooth."

"I doubt it," Thane remarked. "The Alliance frigate's captain seemed truly bored. Understandable, for this is not their duty. But the C-Sec; doing checks against people is one of their routine jobs."

"I was afraid you're going to say that," Jacob said glumly.

"The plan still holds, then, folks," Shepard commented. "Prepare your tools."

"Approaching Citadel. We're being hailed by by Citadel control," Joker called out from the cockpit.

"Alright. Samara, Mordin, yours."

Samara stepped up to the cam, and answered the hail.

"Citadel Control to ... um, 'Happy Thoughts.' Please state your intended business." A human greeted the asari through the vidlink.

"Greetings, Citadel. I am Matriarch Lwaxana T'roi of the asari republics. I came here with my mate to visit a dear old friend of mine."

Shepard couldn't help but admire the way Samara had tranformed herself into. Instead of her warrior outfit, she was wearing a greek-style light brown-colored dress, with a matching headdress, to boot. Her demeanor also changed, from a stern justicar into a noble matriarch. It suddenly pangs his heart when he realized, had it not been for Morinth, she *would* be a matriarch by then.

"Greetings, Matriarch. May we inquire the identity of your friend? We apologize beforehand, but this is a new security procedure being implemented."

"Her name, is Sha'ira."

"The asari consort? I see."

"Indeed. My good man, it will be very appreciated if you can provide us with a private dock. Due to my... uncommon relation with my salarian mate, we would much prefer to stay away from prying eyes. Credits will not be a challenge. If necessary, an upfront transfer will be provided."

There was a hush of silence as the human controller raised an eyebrow, undoubtedly thinking how... unusual for a long-lived asari to enter a relationship with a hypermetabolizing salarian. But to his credit, the human controller maintained his modicum of politeness.

"I see. I will transfer you to the Dock Authorities of the Kithoi Ward. They will certainly be able to provide you with VIP berthing."

"Thank you, my good man. Now, is there anything else you wish to inquire?"

"No, that would be all, matriarch. I apologize for disturbing your time. Enjoy your stay at the Citadel. Citadel Controller out."

As soon as the commlink shut, Samara turned around to see many eyebrows raised.

"Kithoi Ward Docks, eh?" Jacob was the first to comment. "That's real VIP. When I stayed at the Citadel, only dignitaries — or billionaires — are allowed berthing there. You surely impressed the man enough, Samara."

"More like VVIPs, actually. Hmm... Someone must've pulled on some strings to allow us to dock at the Kithoi Ward," Garrus mused, rubbing his mandible. "In any case, the security there is much more toned down. C-Sec didn't dare disturb the comfort of the VVIPs. I don't think infiltration will be difficult. Possibly no need for diversionary tactics."

"Still, it's a long way to the Zakera Ward," Tali added. "We might not be able to make a rapid exit."

"Then we won't go to the Zakera Ward," Shepard decided, as he sat on an empty seat. Resting his elbows on his knees and tenting his fingers, he mulled for awhile before asking, "Joker, how much time do we have?"

"About forty minutes, captain."

"Alright, change of plans. This is what we're going to do..."

The squad huddled in a circle as Shepard told them the new plan.

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Citadel Space Traffic Control  
The Presidium at The Citadel**

"Ali, I have to take a leak. Could you take over my queue for awhile?" the human controller said to the turian controller sitting beside him.

"Sure, Brad. Taking over in 3... 2... 1... done. Have a nice leak," Ali replied, quickly adding, "Uh, bad metaphor?" as she saw Brad rolling his eyes.

Smiling Brad just said, "I really need to give you a course in human metaphors over dinner."

Ali just flared our her mandibles, and asked, "That a promise? Dinner date tonight?"

"That's a promise," Brad replied, winking as he rose from his seat.

"Going somewhere, Mr. Smith?" a stern-looking human asked Brad as he was about to exit the room.

"I need to go to the bathroom, sir. Ms. Aletheia Jolius is handling my queue while I'm away." The turian waved her hands to emphasize Brad's report before going back to her queue.

"Alright. Don't take too long. We expect more traffic in the next 30 minutes."

"Something I should know, sir?"

"Just a bunch of salarian bigwigs visiting the Council. They'll dock at Kithoi, no doubt bringing a lot of their newest espionage toys. But that's not our concern. Our only concern would be the number of entourage ships they are bringing in."

"I see. I'll be back as soon as possible."

Brad left the ATC room and went upstairs. He prefer using the men's bathroom upstairs because it's less used. Entering one of many empty stalls there, he sat down and typed a message into his omni-tool.

—

_**From: Brad Smith  
To: Donnel Udina  
Subject: They are arriving  
**_

_Sir,_

_I have directed the "Happy Thoughts" catamaran to dock at the Kithoi Ward, per your instruction._

_Rgds,_

—

_Brad_

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Near Private Dock 2205  
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel**

"This uniform is itchy!" Joker protested vehemently. "Why can't I just wear my '_I Kicked The Ass of a Spectre and Lived to Tell About It_' T-Shirt? It's 100% genuine cotton, and much more comfortable than this!"

Joker was, for a change, wearing a light brown jacket with matching trousers, over a cream shirt, with a brown tie.

"Sorry, Joker. No can do. Now you have to play the part of a personal pilot of a very influential asari matriarch," Shepard replied, smiling, as he himself donned the same outfit.

"Come on, Joker. You look good in suits," Jacob teased him.

"And you look like a damn stockbroker yourself," he shot back.

"Don't forget these," Kasumi handed out Balmoral bonnets[2] to the three humans.

"What? I'm so *not* wearing bunny tails on my head!" Joker exclaimed in disgust.

"So what Joker? You think you're fucking uncomfortable! Fuck, I have to wear this... this... fucking outrageous SKIRT!" Jack shot back.

Joker mentally calculated his chance of survival against an irate Jack. Finding it nil, he decided to just swallow his embarrassment and shut up.

Zaeed crept up behind Jack and tapped the girl's shoulder. "For what's it worth, I think you look beautiful in one, queenie. Besides, we make a good bloody match," he said with a wink.

Zaeed's words calmed Jack a bit. "Yeah right... just don't expect to see me wearing fucking skirts again in a short time... if ever!"

"Fortunate that MacArthur provided us these outfits. Never expected these. Very good fit, even. Like tailor-made. Interesting," Mordin piped up, as he tried out his salarian garb, also in brown theme, except with dark brown highlights.

Shepard shrugged. "The Illusive Man must be behind this. I never ordered them. When we're leaving, Captain Van Persie told me to check out the cargo."

"Hmph. Nice of him," Jack commented sarcastically.

Seeing all squad members — except Thane, Kasumi, Garrus, Grunt, Tali, and Legion — had donned their outfits, he repeated their plan.

"Alright. Now, Joker would be Samara's personal pilot, and Tali's her mechanic, so you both must disembark with Samara and Mordin to arrange for flight supplies. Zaeed and Jack, you both also disembark for cabin supplies. Grunt will act as Samara's personal bodyguard. Jacob and I will tend the cargo, to help Garrus pass the checks. Legion will stay aboard and man the sensors. Thane, Kasumi, you both can take care of yourselves, right?"

Thane just nodded, while Kasumi cheerfully answered, "Yes we can, Shep!"

"Alright. After insertion, Joker, Zaeed, and Jack will all return aboard. The rest will find a way to stay low, contact Bailey and arrange a meet with Kolyat. Joker, take us in."

Joker brought in the Happy Thoughts onto Private Dock 2205 smoothly, even when handicapped by the claimed-to-be-uncomfortable outfit. Soon, the magnetic clamps steadied the ship with nary a jar, and he hailed the Dock Authorities.

"Kithoi Docks, the Happy Thoughts catamaran has docked successfully. Request permission to disembark."

"You have permission to disembark," a voice from the other end of the commlink repliad. "And I have to commend you; that was the most perfect docking I've ever seen in my entire life. Perfect position. Almost no need for mass effect adjustment. Well done, pilot."

Joker shut the commlink, and turned around to face the squad, his face smug with pride. "Say again who's the damn best pilot in the galaxy."

Sheard grinned and flashed a thumb up to the pilot. "Okay, damn best pilot in the galaxy, open the doors and let us disembark."

The squad disembarked, led by Samara and Mordin who walked down the ramp, her hand held in his.

A turian and a human greeted the 'couple'. "Welcome to The Citadel. I am Crassus Lavariss, the dockmaster of Kithoi Ward Docks." the turian said with great decorum.

"Nice to be of your acquaintence, Mr. Lavariss. I am Matriarch Lwaxana T'roi of the Asari Republics. And this," she turned her head to face Mordin, "is my mate."

"I am Nasurn Seluma Aegohr Riposte Tarden Shosta [3]. More commonly known as, Tarden Shosta. We prefer, no one knows of our status. Gossip, not good," 'Tarden' paused to breathe. "Live coverage by Galactic News Network, worse. Will end up in 'Oddities of Galaxy', no doubt."

'Lwaxana' nodded. Inwardly she was very impressed at how Mordin acted so expertly. "And this here," she gestured to Joker, Tali, and Grunt, "is our entourage. Our pilot Jeffries, our mechanic Shiya, and our bodyguard Gord." The human, the quarian, and the krogan nodded as they got introduced one by one.

"We are honored to know you all. I assure you that here, your privacy is guaranteed. The Kithoi Ward Docks treats its client's privacy *very* seriously," Lavariss replied, again very decorously. "And this is my deputy dockmaster," the turian added, gesturing to the middle-aged human beside him.

"Arnold Greene, at your service," the human introduced himself, nodding politely.

"Mr. Greene will tend to your needs as long as you dock, including any... discomfort if there are to be snooping eyes. Now, if you please, let us take care of the usual formalities so that you will not be impeded from your itinerary any longer."

"We will need to bring our pilot and our mechanic to arrange for the needed fuel and perhaps any spare part for our journey back to the asari republics. And also my flight attendants will need additional supplies," 'Lwaxana' explained.

"Certainly. Your needs will be taken care of at the office. Mr. Greene will assist your flight attendants."

Samara, Mordin, Joker, Tali, and Grunt left with Lavariss, leaving Greene with Shepard, Jacob, Zaeed, and Jack.

"How may I help you, sirs and ma'am?" Greene inquired.

"Please, just call me Ted," Shepard replied. Gesturing to Jacob, 'Ted' added, "LeBron and me, we have to discard some waste. While Zee and Jacqueline," he gestured to Zaeed and Jack, "have to acquire food supplies."

"I see. Well, the refuse processing is over there," Greene pointed to a door near the back end of the ship. "As to supplies, there is a supermarket here at the docks."

"Can you take us down there, Arnold," Zaeed drawled.

"But of course," Greene replied. "Ted, I will be accompanying Zee and Jacqueline to the supermarket. Afterwards, I need to get back to the office. I have to oversee a group of salarian VIPs docking in. Anyways, if you need something, you can use the terminals here to page me," he said to Shepard, indicating at the terminals lined up on one side of the berth. "Now, if you will excuse me."

"Of course," Shepard nod back politely. After 'Zee' and 'Jacqueline' left with Greene, he turned to Jacob, and whispered, "Now, that's smooth."

"Too smooth," Jacob replied. "I already see three security cameras. Garrus still must go out in the crates. And we can't use the terminals here to contact Bailey. Too traceable."

Shepard nodded affirmatively as he made his way back aboard the ship. Inside, he tapped his omni-tool, and opened a comm line with Thane and Kasumi. "Thane, Kasumi, infiltration successful?"

"We're in the wards," Thane replied. "We'll be scouting for suitable place to regroup here before we continue to the Zakera Ward later today."

"Good. Text us all when you find one. Shepard out."

Ten minutes later, a pair of humans can be seen carting out a crate through the refuse processing door.

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Ritz-Carlton Hotel  
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel**

"Now this is a nice place. Totally worth getting smuggled out of a ship in a crate," Garrus quipped. He was sitting on one of the sofas, his left hand holding a glass of dextro-wine, his right wrapped around Tali, who was leaning tenderly against his torso, sipping a glass of the same liquor through a straw. "Why can't we always stay in places like this when we go on a mission? They even have dextro snacks and liquors!"

"Have to admit, humans know best the concept of comfort, luxury, and sumptiousness," Mordin concurred, the salarian opting for a non-intoxicating blue-colored drink. "Not efficient, but every once in a while, why not?"

"No complaint from me," Grunt piped up, enjoying his bottle of Ryncol. "Damn good Ryncol. I might pass out."

Tali pulled out the straw from her suit's feeding orifice, and added, "Yes, back in the flotilla, all this space will be considered a waste. Still, nice place to crash in. The quarters at the MacArthur are nice, but this..."

"You got that right," Jacob exclaimed from the far end of the room, smoking a cigar. "Damn! Genuine Havana cigars! Compliments of the house! I bet it cost a fortune to have these imported; even from Bekenstein!"

"You should say, due to being imported *through* Beke," Kasumi corrected. "Those damn Bekenstein importers placed a hefty markup for all products that go through their hands. Of course, that makes them filthy rich, so they're good jobs. A heist on Beke is sufficient for me to live luxuriously for six months."

Shepard just smiled at the squad's enjoyment of the room. "Well, enjoy it while it lasts, people. Thane and I will take a walk."

The squad gave the two men the customary 'see you later's and 'be careful's. As they were about to enter the elevator, Samara approached them. "Shepard, Thane, do you mind if I tag along?" She was already wearing her usual warrior outfit.

Thane and Shepard looked at each other, before giving in. "No problem. Let's go."

The elevator ride was nicely fast, one more indication of the human influence in the design of the hotel. In no time at all, they found themselves leaving the hotel lobby and strolling around the streets of Kithoi Ward.

"Funny. I've been to Citadel several times, but never visited Kithoi Ward," Shepard pondered. "Always stayed at Zakera Ward."

"So am I, Shepard," Samara said. "Although mostly I jaunted all over the galaxy to search for... her."

"I've been here twice. Always a job," Thane allowed. "No time to admire the view. Which is good."

They stopped at an open plaza. The view around them was awe-inspiring. Unlike the all-business metallic color theme of the Zakera Ward, the Kithoi Ward was awash in earth colors. Shades of sepia, light brown, faint green, and light blue were all around them. The throng strolling around them were also not the hurried rush of people like they usually met in Zakera Ward, but more relaxed... and much more upscale.

The three of them sat on a crescent-shaped bench on the plaza, in silence as they give time to their senses to drink and enjoy the atmosphere.

It was Samara that broke the silence.

"Thane, how long did you leave Kolyat?"

Thane took a deep sigh. "Too long. When I left him, he was just a scared ten-year old boy. When I found him, he was a lost eighteen-year old man, down his path of destruction."[4]

"Eight years?" she said softly, her words more a statement than a question. "Did you not miss him all those years?"

"The desire to avenge Irikah's death had consumed my soul, I shut myself to my son," Thane replied, regret deeply etched in his face. "The rage subsided after I killed those responsible for her death, leaving just a regret. Something I hope I can atone for."

"You have been given a chance. Please do not let that to waste," Samara spoke softly.

"Thank you. I won't," Thane promised. "What about you?"

"Uh, what?" Samara asked, quite surprised.

"About you. Your kids. Or, did you not have any?"

"I...," Samara choked as she tried hard to control her emotions.

Realizing her distress, Thane quickly said, "I am sorry, Samara. If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to tell me anything. I will understand."

"No... I... I will tell you...," she tried real hard to control her breathing, and finally succeded. Taking a deep breath, she started, "This... has been a burden I've carried with me for four centuries. And only recently had I shared this... burden with someone else. With Shepard." She nodded back when she saw Shepard, who sat on the other side of Thane, nodded when his name was mentioned.

"I have... killed my daughters."

Thane sat there upright, struck hard by her statement. But he decided to keep silent, to let Samara explain further.

"I mated with another asari. She's a pureblood, like me. We had three beautiful, intelligent daughters. And all three were found out to be... ardat-yakshis."

"'Demon Of The Night Winds'," Thane replied, softly.

Samara looked at the drell with surprise. "You know about ardat-yakshi?"

"Let's just say, that I once had a ... job, involving one," Thane replied. "They mate with others, and in the process burn out their partners' nervous system. Impossible to diagnose during childhood, but testable upon reaching maturity. Most voluntarily entered the ardat-yakshi monasteries. Some didn't. It was one of those... runaways, that I was contracted for." [5]

"I see," Samara nodded. "That was what happened. My oldest had an... accident. My second took the test. They both voluntarily entered the monastery. But my youngest...," Samara took a deep breath to prevent her voice from breaking. "She rebelled, ran away, and started a spree of murder across the galaxy.

"I was racked with guilt. So I took the oath of the justicar, and promised myself that I will stop my youngest's destruction, even if it costs me my life."

Samara stood up and took a couple of steps away from the bench, her back against the men. She doesn't want Thane and Shepard to see how devastated she was, as she added, "And thus, I sealed the fate of my daughters. The day I sworn to carry out the duties of a justicar, Rila and Falere — my oldest daughters — lost their mother to the Code. And the day I met my youngest, I lost her forever to the goddess."

Samara tried hard to control her emotions.

But still, a teardrop managed to find its way down her left cheek as she continued, "Now, after I stopped my youngest for good, what do I have left? Nothing, but the Code, and a regret that will haunt me for eternity. A regret over a mistake I will never have a chance to atone for."

Rubbing that wayward teardrop from her cheek, Samara spoke softly to Thane, without turning to face him. "That is why Thane, please, do not waste this second chance you have been given. I wish to spare you the devastation I felt."

Thane stood up and approached Samara. To everyone's suprise, including the drell himself, he hugged Samara from behind. "What was past is past," Thane spoke. "Regret will not ever bring back the dead. It is to honor their memories that we must continue living, and correct what we have the power to."

Samara turned around in Thane's embrace, and laid her head on the drell's chest. "Thank you for listening, Thane. And those are beautiful words."

Shepard just sat there, watching everything that had just unfolded before his very eyes with awe. He let the drell and the asari stood there embracing each other, before he stood up himself, and gently spoke, "Thane, Samara, let's find a public terminal and send Bailey a message."

Thane reluctantly released his embrace, and Samara elegantly separated from him. Both nodded at Shepard and followed the captain to a nearby terminal.

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**C-Sec Headquarters  
Zakera Ward, The Citadel**

Captain Bailey was enjoying an uneventful day. More so because he had planned to have half his day off. Finally he'd have the chance to speak with his estranged son over the vid-link. A 'ding' from his personal terminal, however, filled him with a sense of foreboding. He turned to face the terminal, and tapped the 'Read' button.

—

_**From: Anonymous  
To: Capt. Bailey  
Subject: Drell meeting  
**_

_My drell wishes to meet yours, talk with him, and take him home. Let's talk about this, say, in the Wings of Gold bar at Kithoi Ward, 21:00 tonight. Time is of the essence._

_Your Friend_

—

_S_

_—  
_

Bailey sighed. His desires were torn between wanting to meet this 'S', or still taking the rest of the day off.

Finally he made up his mind. "Lieutenant O'Connell! I think I have to cancel my plan of going off early. Have Kolyat Krios report to me this evening, after shift end."

_I'm sorry Tommy_[6]_. I'll make it up to you. Somehow._

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Ritz-Carlton Hotel  
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel**

Sunset at Kithoi was a sight to behold. Unlike the abrupt cut-to-nightfall that the all-business Zakera Ward prefer, the Kithoi Ward authorities had decided to gradually tone down the artificial lighting, to superficially resemble sunsets, although minus the setting sun itself.

Thane was sitting alone on the balcony — sealed against the vacuum outside, of course — enjoying the ever-changing scenery of Kithoi sunset.

His mind recalled one of the many sunsets he'd experienced, when his Irikah was still alive. When Kolyat was still a boy. When they were still... a family.

·

_The sun of Kahje slowly touches the horizon. A smell of spring is in the air; of grasses growing, of flowers budding, of life beginning cycle anew._

_Irikah is beside me, leaning on my shoulder, eyes closed enjoying the moment. The last minutes when the day dims, and night takes over. She is breathing contentedly, her hands resting on my chest. I can smell her soft perfume wafting through the air._

_I rub her cheek with the back of my hand. I glance over the field, away from the tree I am sitting against. There, over there, I see Kolyat running around happily, chasing a flying insect he just found in the bushes._

_I call out to him. "Son, day is ending. Let's go home."_

_He looks at me with a pained, disappointed expression. "Aw, dad. Can't we stay for a little while longer?" he whines._

_"No, Kolyat. We are going to eat out tonight, remember? Come now. Let's go home, change clothes, and prepare for our dinner."_

_My wife smiles at me. Gently, she says to me, "You haven't forgotten your habit of punctuality, it seems, Thane."_

_I smile at her. "It is what I am. I am not like you, who must always be late."_

_She snuggles closer to me. "And if I hadn't been late for my shuttle, we would have never met."_

_My smile goes wider, and I kiss the top of her head. "Yes. It was... the mysterious ways of Arashu."_

_Kolyat seems to have resigned himself to his fate, although not without sulking. Bearing one of his most intense _—_ but at the same time, cutest _—_ frowning face, he approaches us._

Jacob's yell from inside the penthouse broke his reverie.

"Dinner's here! Come and get it while it's still hot!"

Thane didn't feel like dining. He was so anxious to meet his son again, that hunger was completely forgotten.

_We have returned to our home, the three of us. The night is complete, and young Kolyat is already yawning continually._

_Irikah and I tuck our little boy in his bed. "Dad? Mom?" my son, fighting his sleepiness, tries to say something._

_"Yes, Kolyat?" Irikah replies._

_"Today's a *yawn* beautiful day. Will it be like this for the rest of our days? You, me, and dad? Always together?"_

_My wife smiles. "Of course. Now, go to sleep, Kolyat."_

_Kolyat finally gives in to his drowsiness as he mumbles, "I love you, mom. Dad."_

_We watch our son slipping into a peaceful sleep; his breathing calm and contented. Silently, we slip out of his room._

_Irikah seems to be in deep thought. I gently ask her, "Something in your mind, love?"_

_She turns her head to face me, a sad smile upon her beautiful face. "I... I am just thinking... will we always be like this, Thane? Will... won't your job... what if... what if I lose you? What will I say of our promise to Kolyat?"_

_I look into her eyes, and with conviction, I reply, "I will be retiring. Although I do not know what talent I have but for destruction, I will retire. For you, and for Kolyat."_

_Irikah smiles at me. That beautiful smile that she reserves for me, and me alone. The smile that always manages to melt my heart. Every time. Then she leans against my chest._

_"Promise me you'll never leave us. Promise me you'll always come back to us... for us. Promise me... we'll always be a family."_

_"I promise."_

·

Thane snapped back to reality. _I promised her,_ he mouthed silently. He pulled his legs to his chest, folded his arms around his knees, and broke down in sobs.

_I am... sorry i have... broken my promise to you... Irikah... Kolyat..._

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Jathra-Amun Elementary School  
Zakera Ward, The Citadel**

Kolyat was about to call it a day. All his duties were finished, and he felt good about it.

Indeed, he had had a good day. As part of his community service, he had spent the day with duct rats, helping them with basic education. They looked upon him as a big brother, and it never cease to lift his heart to see the hope glimmering in their eyes, the hope that one day they will leave their poverty behind.

But that didn't mean the day was not exhausting. It was, and particularly so as today, he led them through calisthenics and other sports. 'Physical Education', the social services workers would say. Something that they decided would be best delivered by him, thanks to his athletic body and — ahem — background.

He smiled. What his father had failed to provide him with, he determined he would not fail the kids. But he couldn't help but wonder... hope... that his father can see him now. Instead of a destroyer of lifes, he had become a builder of lifes.

Suddenly his private terminal chimed to life.

—

**_From: C-Sec  
To: Kolyat Krios_**

_Mr. Krios, Capt. Bailey requested your presence in his office, 19:00._

He sighed. He had planned on going straight to his bachelor's pad and crashed out. But with Capt. Bailey, 'a request' was just an euphemism of 'an order'.

Not that he hated the man. If anything, he owed the human his freedom. Were it not for the Captain pulling on some strings, he'd be rotting away in the Citadel's jails.

But then again, the Captain's... extracurricular activities were... solidly in the gray area.

He sighed and and wondered, which merchant he'd again be... 'persuading' for 'security fees' tonight...

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Ritz-Carlton Hotel  
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel**

Thane woke up with a start. He was still groggy when he felt someone approaching. His finely-trained instincts immediately took over his body. Without any sounds, he stood up and slipped to the side of the door. The door slid open, and Samara stepped out. He moved for the kill.

"Thane!" Samara shouted, her hands extended a barrier in reflex.

Her shout managed to shake him fully awake. He managed to stop his forward movement and rolled to his side, avoiding the barrier.

"Samara!" Thane shouted back, as she shut down the barrier. "I am sorry. I did not mean to attack you. I... fell asleep, and was surprised."

Samara just nodded. "They have trained you well, I see," she commented.

"Not something I am proud of now," Thane replied, gesturing politely to the bench.

They both sat down in the dark balcony.

"You haven't had dinner," Samara observed.

"I... wanted to eat alone."

A silence.

"You've been thinking of my words at the plaza."

Thane sighed. "Indeed. Not just that." Seeing Samara raising an eyebrow, he continued. "I was also thinking of Miranda's words. Her... nightmares. It was an omen."

Samara nodded. "I see," she simply said.

Another silence.

"May I help you achieve clarity of vision for the coming moment?"

Thane gazed into her eyes. They just looked at each other, no words being exchanged. Then he nodded.

Gently Samara placed her hands on either side of his head. "Look into my eyes..."

Thane gazed into the asari's eyes. He had often heard of the asarian mind-meld, but never experienced one himself. With fascination, he watched as Samara's eyes transformed into a seemingly bottomless void, her voice wafting as if coming from a far away place...

"... _embrace eternity_ ..."

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Presidium Junction  
Zakera Ward, The Citadel**

"Come on boy, move your sorry butt," Bailey hissed at Kolyat as he jumped out of the transit.

"What's the rush?" Kolyat protested. "Wings of Gold will still be there two or three hours ahead. It's not like another reaper's going to materialize and lay waste to the Kithoi Ward tonight."

"Yeah, maybe. Maybe not. It's not the pub I'm concerned with," Bailey snapped back as he threw Kolyat a datapad. "It's them I am concerned with."

Kolyat took a brisk pace behind the similarly brisk human Captain, as he glanced to the datapad. What he saw, froze him instantly.

"Don't stop, boy! We gotta move our asses faster! Look, there, another transit. Let's take that to the Presidium Junction of Kithoi Ward."

Kolyat and Bailey jumped into the transit, and sped away to the junction point where the Kithoi Ward was enjoined to the annular Presidium. But the young drell could not take his mind off the announcement he'd seen on the datapad.

_Shepard and the rest of the Cerberus terrorists were thought to be spotted at Kithoi Ward. Be on the alert._

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Citadel Fleet Command Center  
The Presidium of The Citadel**

"I've sent out the early alert, sir," the young Lieutenant informed her superior. "Alliance Personnel on the Kithoi Ward had been put on alert."

"Very well, Rothmans," her superior, a marine commander in combat fatigues, replied. He turned around to face a trio of Salarians wearing STG uniform. "Gentlemen, I've raised the alert level of the Alliance. I sure hope that you haven't raised a false alarm, or I swear to God I'll hang you all by your cloaca!"

The leader of the salarians, a Major by the name of Resh'tay, just brushed off the threat and replied smugly, "Yes, we are quite certain. How else would you explain this footage," he gestured to a vidscreen playing back Shepard strolling down the streets of Kithoi, along with a drell and an asari. They were soon covered by a conveniently placed canopy, but there was no mistaking him.

"And how exactly did you acquire that footage? To the best of our knowledge, we *don't* have a security camera at that position," a stout human Captain inquired.

"Human surveillance equipment, unshielded, easy target to be overridden and tapped," the salarian second-in-command explained. "Fortunately, you have high-definition sensors. Makes the magnification and face-recognition work much much easier."

The human commander nodded. "Alright, thank you for sharing your find with us. Now, can you help us pinpointing more accurately where they are?"

Major Resh'tay shook his head. "Not yet. But we have identified potential contacts, and are now running analysis on their private communications. Shouldn't take long."

The commander shook his head. _Private communications? Kiss those 'secure channels' bye-bye._

"So, in return for your information in apprehending Shepard and his gang, what do you want?"

The major smiled. "We know of your... dealings with warlords. Lord Darius of Nonuel, for example. We know that such dealings will gravely injure the Alliance's cultivated image. So to help prevent such… unfortunate outcome, we will be interested in... some donation."

The commander went pale as he asked stutteringly, "h- how... how did you..."

The salarian trio just smiled. "We are the STG. It is our *job* to know."

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Wings of Gold Pub  
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel**

The pub looked quaintly like an 'old western' saloon, again an indication of the rising human influence in The Citadel. Painted in a wood-colored texture, it even came complete with a swinging double-door. Of course, the inside was as far as possible from the dingy, smelly drinking holes of yore.

But the Wings of Gold Pub was without uncertainty not a dance bar. It was an honest-to-goodness dive bar, where one could drown one's sorrows in liquors, alone or in a group.

Which was why a drell, a human, and a turian sitting in a nondescript booth at a dark corner of the pub did not draw any attention.

"They should be here by now," the drell spoke in a near-whisper, somewhat nervously. "It is already 21:05."

"Relax, Thane. The Kithoi's some distance away from Zakera's Mid-Ward. We'll give them another 5 minutes," the turian replied, but feeling uneasy himself.

The human just sat there in silence, his finely-honed instincts also making him on edge. There was nothing specific that made him edgy, just... some gut feeling. Just in case his hunch was right, he told the Samara to wait in the hired aircar outside the pub. The rest of the squad he had sent back to the docks; he had ordered Jacob to prepare for the worst.

Every creak of the double door sent a jolt to the three men, half expecting to see a human and a drell walking in, but also half expecting C-Sec officers to burst into the scene.

Impatient, Thane hissed, "Let's leave, we've been stationary too long-"

"Wait! Here they are."

A human and a drell barged through the double doors, with a very brisk pace, almost like running. Scanning the pub, they quickly saw the trio waving at them, and rushed to the booth.

"You have to leave, now!" Bailey hissed urgently.

"What? Wait-"

"I don't know how they do it, but they know you're here," Bailey said as he threw his datapad on the table.

The instant the datapad hit the table, the headline changed.

_Shepard and company spotted in Wings of Gold Pub, Kithoi Ward. All C-Sec and Alliance personnel, close in IMMEDIATELY._

"Shit!"

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Alliance Citadel Fleet Command**  
**Presidium, The Citadel**

"There you have it, admiral," the salarian spoke smugly. "Shepard's exact location."

"Impressive, I must say. So, you're using the STG's latest toy to find him?"

"Latest, indeed. This is the only working prototype of our device."

"This powerful technology- it fits in your omni-tool?"

The salarian shook his head. "Oh no. The device is actually installed on our ship, the Moth'dard. This omni-tool just provide a remote ability to control and view the device itself."

The admiral just nodded.

"Now about the deal..."

The admiral raised a hand. "Wait. If the STG is in the know, why not do it through official channels? Why this under the table quid-pro-quo?"

"I never said that the STG knows, admiral," the salarian team leader answered, smirking.

The admiral raised an eyebrow.

"Had the STG found out about this, there will undoubtedly be a political roar, a public hearing. No. The three of us found out about it, and we decided to just... capitalize on it, so to speak."

Realizing what the salarian was implying, the admiral's lips thinned into a line. "I see... let's talk about this 'sensitive' issue in my office, then."

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Wings of Gold Pub  
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel**

"You set us up, Bailey?" Garrus asked the human captain, his voice as cold as liquid nitrogen.

"No! I swear to God, I don't know about this! Why do you think we half-ran to this place?"

Suddenly they heard sirens blaring outside.

"C-Sec!"

The unmistakable sound of someone shouting through a bullhorn was heard.

"Commander Shepard. Mr. Garrus Vakarian. Mr. Thane Krios. This is Citadel Security. Come out with your hands held high."

Shepard quickly contacted the squad through his communicator. "Samara, move the aircar to the back of the building, stat! Jacob, have Joker warm the engines and someone jam open the dock's door!"

As the group stood up, Bailey suddenly grabbed Shepard's arm.

"Punch me!"

"What?" the former commander asked in puzzlement.

"Punch me! Hard! So that I can say you manhandled me, instead me getting accused of letting you all fugitives run away!"

Shepard nodded. Apologetically, he started to say, "Okay. Please forgive me, for-"

Without completing the sentence, Shepard punched Bailey real hard, knocking the captain out with one hit. At that very instant, two C-Sec officers rushed in through the door.

"Halt! C-Sec!" one of them shouted.

"Go!" Shepard himself yelled to his friends. Totally unnecessarry, actually, since they had already sprinted to the back exit.

The rush of the panicked pub customers trying to exit through the front doors impeded the C-Sec officers and helped the quartet with their getaway, as the C-Sec officers didn't dare to shoot, afraid of hitting innocent parties.

Behind the pub, Samara was already waiting in the aircar with all doors open. The quartet piled in, with the men frantically yelling, "Leave! Leave!" Nodding, Samara whacked the transmission to 'Drive' and stepped hard on the pedal.

The C-Sec officers barged out of the pub's backdoor just seconds after the aircar lifted off.

"Shit! They got away!" one of them exclaimed. "HQ, suspects are getting away in a dark blue aircar, registration number AXP-21264. Request assistance!" The other C-Sec guy barked into his radio.

"Affirmative. Calculating vector. Stand by for orders."

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Kithoi Ward Private Docks  
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel**

Samara brought down the aircar hard, making it screech to a halt on the Private Docks' parking area. All of them rushed out of the aircar and ran toward the dock where the catamaran was berthed.

They stopped in their tracks when they saw a pair of armored guards bearing assault rifles, and quickly hid themselves behind the bushes.

Shepard began hissing out orders to the squad. "Alright! Take your aims! On my mark..."

"Wait! Something's going on..." Thane remarked.

The five took a peek over the manicured bushes. They saw a silhouette of someone approaching the guards from behind.

Two flashes, and without sound, the guards fell to the ground.

"It's safe to approach now, Captain Shepard." The mysterious person called out to the squad.

Recognizing his voice, they stepped out from their cover and approached the man, surprise clearly etched on their faces. He was Arnold Greene. This time, he's not wearing his official outfit, but a black stealth armor instead.

"Greene! What the...?"

"Shh! Now go quickly to Dock 2205. I've hacked the power system, the blast door is now operable only through the direct control panel inside the blast door. Good luck, and godspeed."

The squad, except Shepard, immediately continued their trek to Dock 2205. The captain just stood there with a questioning look.

Greene just smiled as he whispered, "Fellow Cerberus operatives must help each other." After giving Shepard a quick salute, the deputy dockmaster slipped away into the darkness.

Shepard just shook his head as he ran after his squad.

The five had almost reached the doorway to Dock 2205, when they heard the unmistakable whine of hover-personnel carriers. Turning around, they saw three of those vehicles landed in the Private Docks' parking area.

"Alliance! Go! Go! Go!"

They just managed to reach the doorway when the shots rang.

"Samara! Take Kolyat and run to the Happy Thoughts! Have Jacob unlatch the ship, blow the clamps if necessary! We will hold the enemies and shut the blast door!"

The asari and the young drell immediately complied. Garrus and Thane took position behind several storage crates, taking shots at the Alliance soldiers to provide Shepard with covering shot. Shepard himself ran to the direct-control terminal on the other side of the doorway.

Shepard was about 5 meters from the direct-control terminal when about a half-dozen ropes fell from above the dock's doorway.

_Commandoes!_

Alliance personnel bearing assault rifles rapidly rappeled down the ropes, all firing at him.

his shield started to shimmer. He glanced at his shield indicator. _Shit! Shield at 50% and failing!_

He glanced over his right shoulder, and noticed a set of cargo crates. Quickly he did a tiger-jump over the crates, and took cover.

The situation was grim and hopeless.

The three of them were trapped behind those cargo crates, shots from assault rifles and semi machine guns whizzing around them, some managing to hit the crates and chipping at them, bit by bit.

"We need to get to that control panel and shut the door!" Shepard yelled to his friends. "Or else they'll come in, and everything's lost!"

Garrus shouted back over the din, "It's a hail of bullets! We won't make it!"

"We have to!"

Thane glanced around his crate. A shot clanged against the crate's reinforced corner. He glanced at Garrus and Shepard. They're busy trying to peek around or over their cover, trying to land a shot that counts. He glanced back at the door, and saw the opposing forces coming nearer, almost reaching the entrence.

He closed his eyes for a couple of seconds, his mind briefly recalling the vivid clarity of his purpose that Samara had earlier helped him found. He opened his eyes. He knew what he had to do.

Taking a deep breath, he launched himself into a sprint.

"No, Thane! No!" Shepard and Garrus yelled simultaneously when they realized what their friend was up to.

Shepard and Garrus could only watch helplessly as they saw Thane being mowed down by the combined firepower of C-Sec and Alliance. They could only provide a token covering fire; the suppressing fire from the opposing side was just too effective.

They watched with horror as Thane's shield flared bright several times, before flickering out about 1 meter in front of the terminal.

Thane kept running. He completely ignored the fact that his shield had failed. A shot hit his left shoulder. The pain was great. He ignored it. He reached the override terminal. Another shot hit his calf. He fell to his knee. He forced himself back up. Several shots tore through his back armor. The pain was excruciating. His vision started to waver.

_Kolyat! I must save Kolyat!_

He punched the emergency close button, the same time a shot punctured his side.

The suppressing fire died for a moment as the huge blastdoors shut close real fast. There were yells heard as C-Sec and Alliance personnel tried desperately to reach the door before it closes, but it was a futile attempt.

As the blastdoors closed tight with a resounding thump, Thane slumped to the ground, his right hand grabbing his side, vainly trying to stop the bleeding.

Shepard and Garrus ran as fast as they could toward the grievously injured drell as they heard a couple of explosions and the unmistakable whine of the catamaran's thrusters. Wasting no time, they slung Thane between them and hobbled as fast as they could to the ship.

As soon as the three entered, Joker hit full reverse and quickly left the dock, before punching full ahead and aiming at the inter-ward space, desperate to get away from The Citadel.

Avoiding the spires of the Kithoi Ward, the catamaran just cleared the edge of the Kithoi Ward when the commlink crackled to life.

"This is the Alliance Citadel Fleet! Halt your ship and prepare to be boarded! Repeat, halt your ship and prepare to be boarded!"

Grim-faced, Joker ignored the orders as he plotted the course to deep space, mentally plotting the weaving path between the various vessels he saw, hopefully close enough with them to prevent the chasing Alliance frigate from having a clear shot at the catamaran.

"This is your final warning! Halt or we'll open fire!"

Joker grunted as he forced the catamaran into a tight Immelmann's, simultaneously losing the frigate's tracking and hiding behind a big freighter.

"Dammit! We're losing him! Hail all frigates and cruisers! The catamaran *must* be stopped!"

Joker smirked as he saw a gap ahead. He punched the FTL button, and as the catamaran zoomed ahead —

— the weapons officer of the SSV Iwo Jima slammed his fist on his tracking display. "Shit! We lost it sir! It already entered FTL hyperspace."

The captain of the Iwo Jima shook his head, as he brave himself for the dressing down that will inevitably happen to him, for he was very, very unlucky to have Rear Admiral Mihailovich on board at that time.

There was a pregnant silence on the bridge before the rear admiral snorted, turned around, and walked to the elevator. No one dared to say a word as the stern admiral passed them.

"Either he's a damn good pilot, able to outmaneouver you all despite his being crippled," the admiral said loudly as he entered the elevator. "Or you all suck!" he yelled toward the bridge as the elevator door closed.

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Happy Thoughts Catamaran  
Somewhere in FTL Hyperspace near the Serpent Nebula Relay**

Mordin and Zaeed had laid Thane down on the dining table to give some medical aid to the drell. The salarian and human pair was trying hard to stop Thane's bleeding. They were both fighting the Grim Reaper whose smell hung so thickly in the air. But handicapped with not enough medical equipment on board, it was a losing battle. [7]

The rest of the squad watched with grave concern as they also felt the tangible taste of death in their mouths, maintaining some distance between them and the emergency operating table to allow Mordin and Zaeed do their job. The pair of medics ran around the drell's body, cauterizing, suturing, applying medi-gel, they did everything they had in mind.

Shepard caught Mordin's eye. There was a deep regret in the salarian's eyes as he shook his head nearly imperceptibly.

Suddenly Thane opened his eyes. Frantically, he searched for Shepard. "Sh-... Shepa-... Shepard,"

Shepard pushed aside some of the squad members to approach the table. He grabbed Thane's right hand, and tried to calm the drell. "Shh, don't talk. You'll be alright..."

The drell coughed some blood. Shepard grabbed a nearby napkin to wipe the blood from Thane's mouth.

"P... please... remember... you pr-... promised..."

"I remember. I remember! I swear to God, I swear to you, Kolyat will be a fine man you can be proud of..."

Thane coughed again. "Thank you... K-... Kolyat...?"

Kolyat approached, standing beside Shepard. "I am here, father," he replied, trying mightily hard to control his emotions, and utterly failing.

"It... It's time for... for your dad... to answer Kalahira's call... and be... be reunited with your mom... again," Thane spoke belaboredly. "P-... pl... please," Thane coughed up more blood, "l-... listen to Sh-... Shepard... I entrus-... entrust you to him."

The younger drell couldn't hold his emotions much longer. "Please don't leave me, dad? Please don't leave me...," he cried, begging to his dad to not die.

Thane smiled weakly. "Ah, but Arash-... Arashu has been so kind to... to allow me... to meet you again," Thane spoke, his breathing getting shallower and shallower. "May... Arashu... keep watch... over us all... Kalahira..."

His body suddenly went stiff, then slumped, and then still.

The ship fell silent.

No sound was heard, except the thrum of the thrusters, and the sobs of warriors mourning a fallen comrade.

And the crying of a son losing his father for the second time, forever.

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Cerberus Officers' Quarters, CO-15  
CSV MacArthur**

_NOOOOOOOOO!_

Shepard woke with a start, his body drenched in sweat.

_It was... just a nightmare..._

Apparently he had screamed, since his girlfriend was looking at him with great concern.

"You had that nightmare again, Theo?" Miranda sofftly said to Shepard, as she gently rubbed his upper arm.

_It was just a nightmare..._

"Yes... that... that... awful dream... the squad dying... blood... blood everywhere... you lying on the ground... I... I called out your name several times... but I lost you..." Shepard stuttered, his hands covering his face as he belabored in breathing.

_He never told me that part... _Miranda hugged him tight. "Don't worry... it's just a nightmare... Thane's death hit us all hard..."

They just sat there together on the bed as Shepard silently cried out his distress. Finally, he managed to control his emotions. Miranda relaxed her hug when she felt him calming down.

"Let's go to sleep again, hon... we have a mission in three hours..."

Shepard nodded, and laid down his head on Miranda's chest, her arms around him.

Within minutes, only gentle snores could be heard as the two lovers eked out some final sleep before they have to leave for Illium.

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Cerberus Central Command  
Somewhere in the Galaxy**

The Illusive Man was sitting on his chair, a glass of 2133-vintage Earth Burgundy in his hand. His brows furrowed in deep thought.

There had been a good news. But that was dwarfed by two bad news. Very bad ones.

The good news was that Cerberus — with the help of EDI, who was successfully 'rescuscitated' when the Normandy docked in the MacArthur — managed to uncover important information on the Shadow Broker. Valuable information that undoubtedly would be very utilizable by Liara T'soni to find out where the Shadow Broker's lair was, and likely to deal him a strike that'd take care of him for once and for all.

Unfortunately, that good news was tempered with a very bad news: the loss of Thane Krios.

The Illusive Man knew that Thane was dying; the drell might even not make it until the Reapers' arrival. But the Cerberus leader had expected he could leverage the assassin's extensive network of informants and acquaintances to help reinforce the 'resistance force' against the Reapers.

And that would never happen now.

The loss of such a valuable resource was one of the two reasons why he couldn't grant the squad too long a moment of respite, to give them the chance to mourn their fallen comrade. Were it not for the time they didn't have, he'd gladly give them some time off.

But time was at a premium, so he had asked Shepard to prepare to meet Liara at Illium barely a week since the loss of Thane Krios, to assist her in utilizing the information Cerberus gained. An act that he hoped would secure an alliance between Cerberus and the information broker, where he could leverage and also ally with *her* network.

But the second reason, which also was the second *very* bad news, weighed his mind even more.

The Alliance's actions at the Citadel were practically a declaration of war against Cerberus. And this introduces two complications for him.

One, Shepard and the squad must now be extra careful in their missions, especially to worlds where the Alliance hold sway. The Arcturus mass relay would, for the time being, off-limits for them and the Normandy.

The second complication was even more dire.

He tapped a button on the chair's armrest, bringing up a set of holoscreens in front of him. With one-handed taps and swipes, he brought up the waiting vidconf connections on the screens. Within seconds, he's virtually face-to-face with several high-ranking Cerberus officers all over the galaxy.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he politely addressed his subordinates, pausing to sip his wine. "I will get straight to the point. It seems that the Alliance can no longer be considered our ally. I believe it is time for us to invoke the Phoenix Protocol."

There were gasps of surprises as the officers tried to contain their shocks. But, one-by-one, they concurred and acknowledged their superior's instruction.

"You all know what you must do. Cerberus depends on you. Now go, and godspeed."

One by one the vidconf connection dropped, until The Illusive Man was again alone in the dark, staring at the star gracing his office wall.

He knew that within hours, even minutes, the Phoenix Protocol would activate myriads of sleeper cells, prepare thousands of new communication matrices, and set-up hundreds of new untraceable funding lines.

The Illusive Man sighed. The Protocol had been planned by Cerberus' founders a long time ago. Under his command, Cerberus had grown a resilience that rendered the Protocol redundant, enabling the organization to still operate and rebuild itself even when their enemies managed to bring down a majority of their cells and funding lines.

But this time, the stakes were too damn high. He couldn't risk *any* down time in Cerberus operation if he wanted humanity - and, by extension, the galaxy - to survive.

The Reapers were coming.

Only Cerberus were prepared.

·

**~ o ~ O ~ o ~**

·

**Councilor Udina's Residence  
The Presidium, The Citadel**

_Female reporter: And now, an update for the much talked about incident on the Kithoi Ward last week._

— Title screen: Kithoi Ward Terrorist Getaway —

_Female reporter: As we all know, last week the usually calm Kithoi Ward experienced an excitement when authorities descended upon Shepard, the once-Spectre who is now associated with the human-supremacist terrorist organization Cerberus. A combined force of C-Sec and Systems Alliance managed to intercept the group when they were having a meeting at the Wings of Gold Pub in the Ward._

— Short footage: Wings of Gold Pub —

_Female reporter: Unfortunately, they have been tipped off by Kolyat Krios, the son of a drell assassin, Thane Krios, whose reputation in the black world of crime is said to be 'legendary and unparalleled'._

— Stills: Photos of Kolyat Krios and Thane Krios —

_Female reporter: The group slipped off after disabling Captain Armando-Owen Bailey _[8]_, who was the first C-Sec officer to reach the scene of meeting._

— Footage: Capt. Bailey interview - Begin —

_Off-screen reporter: Captain Bailey, why did you let them get away?_

_Captain Bailey: You think I can single-handedly apprehend them? Remember, they still are the guys who managed to bring down Saren and his geth cohorts during the Battle of the Citadel!_

_Off-screen reporter: But you did fight back?_

_Captain Bailey: Hell, yeah! I didn't get this broken nose because I fell drunkenly on a table, you know!_

— Footage Ended —

_Female reporter: After a wild chase through the streets of Kithoi, the authorities finally managed to surround them in the Kithoi Ward Private Docks. Yet again, they managed to slip away after disabling the facilities' electrical system, wreaking havoc with tracking equipment, and rendering the authorities unable to stop their escape._

— Short footage: Kithoi Ward Private Docks —

_Female reporter: We have been notified that new progress is being made on this case. An anonymous informant had earlier today provided a security footage which indicated a possible inside help._

— Footage: Security Camera of KWPD - Begin —

The security footage showed the entrance of the Kithoi Ward Private Docks entrance. Two armed guards were watching the entrance, when a shadowy silhouette — unmistakably turian — approached and shot them in the head, the flashing muzzle twice illuminating a silencer being used.

— Footage Ended —

_Female reporter: The footage you just saw, plus the sudden disappearance of Crassus Lavariss made the authorities suspect the turian Director of the Kithoi Ward Private Docks to be somehow involved with this incident; a suspicion confirmed when, during a lawful raid on Mr. Lavariss' apartment, authorities found evidences that possibly linked Mr. Lavariss to seccesionist organization in Taetrus, who in recent times has been escalating their confrontation with the Turian Hierarchy._

— Camera panned to show exit of Kithoi Ward Private Docks Administration Building —

_Female reporter: Mr. Arnold Greene, the Deputy Director of Kithoi Ward Private Docks- here he is! Let's talk to him!_

— Camera followed reporter running to the exit of the building —

— Camera showed Arnold Greene being mobbed by reporters —

— Camera zoomed on Arnold Greene —

_Off-screen reporter: Mr. Greene, any comments on the recent implication of Director Lavariss' involvement on the incident?_

_Arnold Greene: I am very, very shocked. I truly do not believe that Mr. Lavariss had any connection to any terrorist organization. He had always been a model citizen, a good and kind superior, and definitely one of the most law-abiding citizens of the Citadel._

_Off-screen reporter: With Mr. Lavariss missing, who will be in charge of the Kithoi Ward Private Docks?_

_Arnold Greene: The board of commissioners has held an emergency meeting, and it was decided that for the time being I will be the Acting Director until further notice. Now, if you'd excuse me, I have to go to the Presidium..._

— Arnold Greene, flanked by security officers, parted the throng of reporters and entered a waiting aircar which immediately sped away —

— Camera zoomed out and panned back to reporter —

_Female reporter: As to where Shepard and his group are currently located, authorities confessed that they have no clue yet._

— Footage: Admiral Hackett - Begin —

_Admiral Hackett: No, we do not know yet where they holed up._

_Off-screen reporter: Did the Alliance not track the exit vector of their vessel?_

_Admiral Hackett: We did. But it was a false vector. Either their pilot is damn good, or they have the technology to mask the actual exit vector. Maybe both._

_Off-screen reporter: Why didn't the Citadel fleet intercepted them at the mass relay?_

_Admiral Hackett: Lady, the 'safe' space around the mass relay extends one thousand kilometers in all direction. There is practically no way for us to make the relay outgoing-secure with the millions of square kilometers of perimeter area around it. With the messed up exit vector, we have no way of knowing from which direction they will be approaching the relay._

— Footage Ended —

_Female reporter: This is Emily Wong, reporting for the Citadel News Channel._

— Scene cut to news studio —

_Male anchor: Thank you Emily. Now, after the break, more stories on the fatal accident of the salarian vessel Moth'dard, which broke apart when it undocked yesterday, killing all members of the salarian trade group on-board._

_Female anchor: And also the lighter side of life: Love in all the unexpected places. How a human and a turian managed to ascend interracial differences, the story of Brad Smith and Aletheia Jolius. Stay tuned._

— Commercial Break —

Udina clicked the remote, turning off the vidscreen. Then he turned his chair to face the guest seated beside him.

"So, they got away?" Udina asked, more a statement than a question. "And you also managed to pin the blame on Lavariss. Good job, I must say."

Arnold Greene just smiled. "Not really that difficult. With the Alliance dying for a scapegoat, a short doctored footage is all that we need. It helps that Lavariss *is* involved with the turian's own insurgency militia."

Udina nodded. "And now with him out of the way, you can control the smuggling channels in and out of Citadel. It still surprised me, though, how fast Shepard was discovered."

"Cerberus has proof that it was the 'salarian trade envoys' that did it. They must've hacked into the CCTV networks of the Kithoi Ward establishment, and run an advanced recognition algorithm against the video stream."

"Hmmm," Udina pondered Greene's reply. "For what purpose?"

"Trusted sources within the Alliance told us that the salarian wants a quid-pro-quo. In exchange for helping the Alliance, they want a part of the red sand deals the Alliance had been making with warlords."

Udina raised an eyebrow. "You sure about this?"

"Very positive, sir. Our informant was there when the salarians stated their price."

The human councillor pondered again for awhile, and asked, "So, Cerberus decided to," he did a swiping gesture with his hand, "take care of the salarians?"

"No, sir, we did not," Greene shook his head.

"What?" Udina became confused. "If it's not you guys, then who?"

Greene just smiled as he stood up and prepared to leave. "Why, the guys who will lose a lot of money and influence, of course."

"You mean..."

"The Alliance."

Udina whistled his surprise.

"Now, sir, if you will excuse me..."

"Of course," Udina rose also from his chair, wanting to escort Greene to the door.

"Oh, by the way - sorry I forgot - the final 50 million credits are being transferred to your account, as we speak. Sorry for the delay. It takes some effort to ensure untraceability."

Udina just nodded as he held the door open for Greene.

"Thank you for your time, sir. It's nice doing business with you. Cerberus is grateful," Greene nodded, then left.

After closing and locking the door, Udina returned to his chair, leant back, and clicked a button on his remote.

The room dimmed, and Beethoven's Ninth started wafting from the speakers.

He smiled.

With more humans on top positions, not to mention the additional millions of credits with which he can grease more palms, his position was more secure than ever.

_Life is good._

·

* * *

·

**Footnotes:**  
[1] See "Last Rites", Chapter 5  
[2] Look up "Balmoral bonnet" on wikipedia  
[3] According to MEwiki's entry on salarians, their full names consist of: Homeplanet Country City District Clan Given.  
[4] I really can't find Kolyat's age. Since drells life expectancy is just 85 years, the ages here just seem… right.  
[5] Yeah, the Codex said that there had been no Ardat-Yakshi before Samara's daughters. Doesn't make any sense.  
[6] I cannot find any reference to Bailey's boy's name. So, I pull this one out of thin air.  
[7] "Last Rites", Chapter 2 established Zaeed's 'field-medic' ability. Again, not from canon.  
[8] Look up Armando-Owen_Bailey on MEwiki

·

**Author's Note:**

"Lair of the Shadow Broker" takes place right after this episode; I won't write it down. I think. Should I write it down? Naah. What do you think, anyway?

I'm hard pressed for time to publish this chapter, so no blog update. Not yet.


End file.
